2019 AIME I Problem 8

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 8 of the 2019 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2019 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:trigonometric identityNewton’s Sumssubstitution

Difficulty rating: 2720

8.

Let xx be a real number such that sin10x+cos10x=1136.\sin^{10} x + \cos^{10} x = \frac{11}{36}. Then sin12x+cos12x=mn,\sin^{12} x + \cos^{12} x = \frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Let u=sin2xu = \sin^2 x and v=cos2x,v = \cos^2 x, so u+v=1,u + v = 1, and set p=uv.p = uv. Expanding (u+v)5(u+v)^5 gives u5+v5=15p(u+v)3+5p2(u+v)=15p+5p2,u^5 + v^5 = 1 - 5p(u+v)^3 + 5p^2(u+v) = 1 - 5p + 5p^2, so the hypothesis reads 15p+5p2=113636p236p+5=0,1 - 5p + 5p^2 = \frac{11}{36} \quad\Longrightarrow\quad 36p^2 - 36p + 5 = 0, with roots p=16p = \frac{1}{6} and p=56.p = \frac{5}{6}. Since p=sin2xcos2x=14sin22x14,p = \sin^2 x \cos^2 x = \frac{1}{4}\sin^2 2x \le \frac{1}{4}, we must have p=16.p = \frac{1}{6}.

Similarly u6+v6=(u2+v2)33p2(u2+v2)=(12p)33p2(12p)=16p+9p22p3.u^6 + v^6 = (u^2 + v^2)^3 - 3p^2(u^2+v^2) = (1 - 2p)^3 - 3p^2(1 - 2p) = 1 - 6p + 9p^2 - 2p^3. Substituting p=16,p = \frac{1}{6}, u6+v6=11+141108=26108=1354,u^6 + v^6 = 1 - 1 + \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{108} = \frac{26}{108} = \frac{13}{54}, so m+n=13+54=67.m + n = 13 + 54 = 67.

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