2026 AIME II Problem 11

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11.

Find the greatest integer nn such that the cubic polynomial x3n6x2+(n11)x400x^3 - \frac{n}{6}x^2 + (n - 11)x - 400 has roots α2,\alpha^2, β2,\beta^2, and γ2,\gamma^2, where α,\alpha, β,\beta, and γ\gamma are complex numbers, and there are exactly seven different possible values for α+β+γ.\alpha + \beta + \gamma.

Answer: 132
Concepts:Vieta’s Formulaspolynomialalgebraic manipulation
Difficulty rating: 3060
Solution:

The roots of the cubic are α2,β2,γ2.\alpha^2, \beta^2, \gamma^2. Fix square roots s1,s2,s3s_1, s_2, s_3 of them; then α+β+γ\alpha + \beta + \gamma ranges over the eight expressions ±s1±s2±s3,\pm s_1 \pm s_2 \pm s_3, which come in four pairs ±v.\pm v. Generically all eight are distinct. Their product is nonzero because the cubic's constant term is 400,-400, so every sis_i is nonzero. A coincidence v(ε)=v(ε)v(\varepsilon) = v(\varepsilon') between choices that are not opposite must differ in two signs and forces si=±sjs_i = \pm s_j for some ij,i \ne j, which collapses the eight values to at most six. So exactly seven values occur precisely when one choice satisfies ±s1±s2±s3=0\pm s_1 \pm s_2 \pm s_3 = 0 — its opposite is then the same value 00 — and no further degeneracies occur.

That condition is the vanishing of (s1+s2+s3)(s1+s2+s3)(s1s2+s3)(s1+s2s3)=2i<jrirjiri2=4e2e12, \begin{aligned} &(s_1 + s_2 + s_3)(-s_1 + s_2 + s_3) \\ &\quad {}\cdot (s_1 - s_2 + s_3)(s_1 + s_2 - s_3) \\ &= 2\sum_{i \lt j} r_i r_j - \sum_i r_i^2 \\ &= 4e_2 - e_1^2, \end{aligned} where ri=si2r_i = s_i^2 are the roots and e1,e2e_1, e_2 their elementary symmetric functions. By Vieta's formulas e1=n6e_1 = \frac{n}{6} and e2=n11,e_2 = n - 11, so n236=4(n11),\frac{n^2}{36} = 4(n - 11), i.e. n2144n+1584=0,n^2 - 144n + 1584 = 0, with roots n=12n = 12 and n=132.n = 132.

For n=132n = 132 the cubic factors as (x16)(x26x+25),(x - 16)(x^2 - 6x + 25), with distinct roots 16,16, 3+4i,3 + 4i, and 34i.3 - 4i. Choose their square roots as 4,4, 2+i,2 + i, and 2i;2 - i; then 4(2+i)(2i)=0.4 - (2+i) - (2-i) = 0. The eight sign choices give 00 twice and the six distinct nonzero values ±8,\pm 8, ±(4+2i),\pm(4+2i), ±(42i),\pm(4-2i), so exactly seven sums occur. The greatest such integer is 132.132.

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