2021 AMC 10A Spring Problem 14
Attempt Problem 14 of the 2021 AMC 10A Spring below, then check your answer against the video solution and professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2021 AMC 10A Spring solutions, or check the answer key.
All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).
14.
All the roots of the polynomial are positive integers, possibly repeated. What is the value of
Answer: A
Video solution:
Click to load, then click again to play
Written solution:
By Vieta's formulas, the six roots have sum and product Because the product is a power of every positive integer root is a power of Distributing the four factors of among six roots gives the least possible sum when four roots are and two roots are ; that sum is already Hence the roots are
The coefficient is the negative of the sum of all products of three roots. Choosing zero, one, or two of the two roots equal to gives
Thus, A is the correct answer.
Problem 14 in Other Years
2000 AMC 10 · 2001 AMC 10 · 2002 AMC 10A · 2002 AMC 10B · 2003 AMC 10A · 2003 AMC 10B · 2004 AMC 10A · 2004 AMC 10B · 2005 AMC 10A · 2005 AMC 10B · 2006 AMC 10A · 2006 AMC 10B · 2007 AMC 10A · 2007 AMC 10B · 2008 AMC 10A · 2008 AMC 10B · 2009 AMC 10A · 2009 AMC 10B · 2010 AMC 10A · 2010 AMC 10B · 2011 AMC 10A · 2011 AMC 10B · 2012 AMC 10A · 2012 AMC 10B · 2013 AMC 10A · 2013 AMC 10B · 2014 AMC 10A · 2014 AMC 10B · 2015 AMC 10A · 2015 AMC 10B · 2016 AMC 10A · 2016 AMC 10B · 2017 AMC 10A · 2017 AMC 10B · 2018 AMC 10A · 2018 AMC 10B · 2019 AMC 10A · 2019 AMC 10B · 2020 AMC 10A · 2020 AMC 10B · 2021 AMC 10B Spring · 2021 AMC 10A Fall · 2021 AMC 10B Fall · 2022 AMC 10A · 2022 AMC 10B · 2023 AMC 10A · 2023 AMC 10B · 2024 AMC 10A · 2024 AMC 10B · 2025 AMC 10A · 2025 AMC 10B