2023 AIME II Problem 5

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Concepts:fractiongreatest common divisorcasework

Difficulty rating: 2740

5.

Let SS be the set of all positive rational numbers rr such that when the two numbers rr and 55r55r are written as fractions in lowest terms, the sum of the numerator and denominator of one fraction is the same as the sum of the numerator and denominator of the other fraction. The sum of all the elements of SS can be expressed in the form pq,\frac{p}{q}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q.

Solution:

Write r=abr = \frac{a}{b} in lowest terms and let g=gcd(b,55).g = \gcd(b, 55). Then 55r55r in lowest terms is 55a/gb/g\frac{55a/g}{b/g} (no further cancellation is possible since gcd(a,b)=1\gcd(a, b) = 1 and 5555 is squarefree). The condition is a+b=55ag+bg.a + b = \frac{55a}{g} + \frac{b}{g}. If g=1g = 1 this forces a=55a,a = 55a, impossible; if g=55g = 55 it forces b=b55,b = \frac{b}{55}, impossible.

If g=5:g = 5: a+b=11a+b5a + b = 11a + \frac{b}{5} gives 4b5=10a,\frac{4b}{5} = 10a, so 2b=25a.2b = 25a. Since gcd(a,b)=1,\gcd(a, b) = 1, we need a=2a = 2 and b=25,b = 25, so r=225r = \frac{2}{25} (indeed 2+25=27=22+52 + 25 = 27 = 22 + 5 from 55r=22555r = \frac{22}{5}). If g=11:g = 11: a+b=5a+b11a + b = 5a + \frac{b}{11} gives 10b11=4a,\frac{10b}{11} = 4a, so 5b=22a,5b = 22a, forcing a=5,a = 5, b=22b = 22 and r=522r = \frac{5}{22} (with 5+22=27=25+25 + 22 = 27 = 25 + 2 from 55r=25255r = \frac{25}{2}).

Hence S={225,522}S = \left\{\frac{2}{25}, \frac{5}{22}\right\} and the sum is 225+522=44+125550=169550,\frac{2}{25} + \frac{5}{22} = \frac{44 + 125}{550} = \frac{169}{550}, already in lowest terms. The answer is 169+550=719.169 + 550 = 719.

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