2023 AIME II Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 2023 AIME II 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 2023 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

15.

For each positive integer nn let ana_n be the least positive integer multiple of 2323 such that an1(mod2n).a_n \equiv 1 \pmod{2^n}. Find the number of positive integers nn less than or equal to 10001000 that satisfy an=an+1.a_n = a_{n+1}.

Answer: 363
Concepts:modular arithmeticnumber basemultiplicative order
Difficulty rating: 3370
Solution:

Write an=23bn,a_n = 23 b_n, where bnb_n is the unique integer in [1,2n][1, 2^n] with 23bn1(mod2n),23 b_n \equiv 1 \pmod{2^n}, i.e. the inverse of 2323 mod 2n.2^n. Reducing mod 2n2^n shows bn+1{bn, bn+2n},b_{n+1} \in \{b_n,\ b_n + 2^n\}, so an=an+1a_n = a_{n+1} exactly when bn+1=bn,b_{n+1} = b_n, which happens exactly when the binary digit of weight 2n2^n in bn+1b_{n+1} is 0.0.

Since 2389=2047=2111,23 \cdot 89 = 2047 = 2^{11} - 1, setting Tk=1+211+222T_k = 1 + 2^{11} + 2^{22} ++211(k1){}+ \cdots + 2^{11(k-1)} gives 2389Tk=211k1,23 \cdot 89\,T_k = 2^{11k} - 1, so 23(211k89Tk)1(mod211k), \begin{gathered} 23\left(2^{11k} - 89\,T_k\right) \\ \equiv 1 \pmod{2^{11k}}, \end{gathered} and every bnb_n with n11kn \le 11k is the reduction of 211k89Tk2^{11k} - 89\,T_k mod 2n.2^n. In binary, 89=1011001two89 = 1011001_{\text{two}} occupies positions 0,3,4,60, 3, 4, 6 of each 1111-bit block of 89Tk.89\,T_k. Since 89Tk89\,T_k is odd, 211k89Tk2^{11k} - 89\,T_k =(211k189Tk)+1= \bigl(2^{11k} - 1 - 89\,T_k\bigr) + 1 keeps digit 00 equal to 11 and complements every digit in positions 11 through 11k1.11k - 1.

So for n1,n \ge 1, the digit of weight 2n2^n is 00 exactly when n0,3,4,6(mod11).n \equiv 0, 3, 4, 6 \pmod{11}. Among 1n1000=9011+10,1 \le n \le 1000 = 90 \cdot 11 + 10, the residue 00 occurs 9090 times and the residues 3,3, 4,4, 66 occur 9191 times each, for a total of 90+391=363.90 + 3 \cdot 91 = 363.

← Problem 14#14
Full Exam

Problem 15 in Other Years