2019 AIME II Problem 8

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8.

The polynomial f(z)=az2018+bz2017+cz2016f(z) = az^{2018} + bz^{2017} + cz^{2016} has real coefficients not exceeding 2019,2019, and f(1+3i2)=2015+20193i.f\left(\frac{1 + \sqrt{3}i}{2}\right) = 2015 + 2019\sqrt{3}i. Find the remainder when f(1)f(1) is divided by 1000.1000.

Answer: 53
Concepts:roots of unitycomplex numberpolynomial
Difficulty rating: 2560
Solution:

Let ω=1+3i2=cos60+isin60,\omega = \frac{1 + \sqrt{3}i}{2} = \cos 60^\circ + i\sin 60^\circ, a primitive sixth root of unity. Since 2016=6336,2016 = 6 \cdot 336, we get ω2016=1,\omega^{2016} = 1, ω2017=ω,\omega^{2017} = \omega, and ω2018=ω2=1+3i2.\omega^{2018} = \omega^2 = \frac{-1 + \sqrt{3}i}{2}. Therefore f(ω)=aω2+bω+c=(c+ba2)+(a+b)32i. \begin{aligned} f(\omega) &= a\omega^2 + b\omega + c \\ &= \left(c + \frac{b - a}{2}\right) \\ &\quad {}+ \frac{(a + b)\sqrt{3}}{2}\,i. \end{aligned}

Matching imaginary parts, a+b2=2019,\frac{a + b}{2} = 2019, so a+b=4038.a + b = 4038. Since a2019a \le 2019 and b2019,b \le 2019, this forces a=b=2019.a = b = 2019. Matching real parts then gives c+0=2015,c + 0 = 2015, so c=2015.c = 2015.

Hence f(1)=a+b+cf(1) = a + b + c =4038+2015=6053,= 4038 + 2015 = 6053, whose remainder upon division by 10001000 is 53.53.

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