2021 AIME I Problem 15

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 15 of the 2021 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2021 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:parabolacirclepolynomialbounding to limit cases

Difficulty rating: 3370

15.

Let SS be the set of positive integers kk such that the two parabolas y=x2kandx=2(y20)2ky = x^2 - k \qquad \text{and} \qquad x = 2(y - 20)^2 - k intersect in four distinct points, and these four points lie on a circle with radius at most 21.21. Find the sum of the least element of SS and the greatest element of S.S.

Solution:

Adding the equation x2yk=0x^2 - y - k = 0 to 12\frac{1}{2} times 2(y20)2xk=02(y - 20)^2 - x - k = 0 gives a conic through all intersection points with equal x2x^2 and y2y^2 coefficients: x2+y212x41y+4003k2=0,x^2 + y^2 - \tfrac{1}{2}x - 41y + 400 - \tfrac{3k}{2} = 0, a circle centered at (14,412)\left(\frac{1}{4}, \frac{41}{2}\right) with squared radius 116+16814400+3k2=32516+3k2.\frac{1}{16} + \frac{1681}{4} - 400 + \frac{3k}{2} = \frac{325}{16} + \frac{3k}{2}. So whenever four distinct intersection points exist, they are concyclic, and the radius is at most 2121 exactly when 32516+3k2441,\frac{325}{16} + \frac{3k}{2} \le 441, i.e. k280k \le 280 for integers.

Substituting y=x2ky = x^2 - k into the second parabola gives the quartic f(x)=2(x2c)2xk=0f(x) = 2(x^2 - c)^2 - x - k = 0 where c=k+20.c = k + 20. For 1k4:1 \le k \le 4: if xkx \le -k then f(x)=2(x2c)2+(xk)>0,f(x) = 2(x^2 - c)^2 + (-x - k) \gt 0, and if k<x0-k \lt x \le 0 then x2<16x^2 \lt 16 while c21,c \ge 21, so f(x)>225k>0;f(x) \gt 2 \cdot 25 - k \gt 0; thus there are no intersections with x0,x \le 0, and since f(x)=8x38cx1f'(x) = 8x^3 - 8cx - 1 has exactly one positive root, ff has at most (and, by f(0)>0,f(0) \gt 0, f(c)<0,f(\sqrt{c}) \lt 0, exactly) two positive roots. So k4k \le 4 fails. For k5,k \ge 5, we have k2k+20,k^2 \ge k + 20, so f(c)=ck0f\left(-\sqrt{c}\right) = \sqrt{c} - k \le 0 with ff strictly decreasing there, while f()=+,f(-\infty) = +\infty, f(0)=2c2k>0,f(0) = 2c^2 - k \gt 0, f(c)=ck<0,f\left(\sqrt{c}\right) = -\sqrt{c} - k \lt 0, and f(+)=+:f(+\infty) = +\infty: the sign changes produce four distinct real roots.

Hence S={5,6,,280},S = \{5, 6, \ldots, 280\}, and the answer is 5+280=285.5 + 280 = 285.

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