2020 AIME I Problem 8

Attempt Problem 8 of the 2020 AIME I below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2020 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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8.

A bug walks all day and sleeps all night. On the first day, it starts at point O,O, faces east, and walks a distance of 55 units due east. Each night the bug rotates 6060^\circ counterclockwise. Each day it walks in this new direction half as far as it walked the previous day. The bug gets arbitrarily close to point P.P. Then OP2=mn,OP^2 = \frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 103
Concepts:complex numbergeometric sequence
Difficulty rating: 2560
Solution:

Work in the complex plane with OO at the origin and east along the positive real axis. Each day's displacement is the previous one multiplied by z=12eiπ/3,z = \frac{1}{2}e^{i\pi/3}, so P=5(1+z+z2+)=51z. \begin{aligned} P &= 5\left(1 + z + z^2 + \cdots\right) \\ &= \frac{5}{1 - z}. \end{aligned}

Since z=14+34i,z = \frac{1}{4} + \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}i, we get 1z=3434i,1 - z = \frac{3}{4} - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}i, whose squared magnitude is 916+316=34.\frac{9}{16} + \frac{3}{16} = \frac{3}{4}. Therefore OP2=253/4=1003,OP^2 = \frac{25}{3/4} = \frac{100}{3}, and m+n=100+3=103.m + n = 100 + 3 = 103.

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