2005 AMC 12A Problem 24

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24.

Let P(x)=(x1)(x2)(x3).P(x) = (x - 1)(x - 2)(x - 3). For how many polynomials Q(x)Q(x) does there exist a polynomial R(x)R(x) of degree 33 such that P(Q(x))=P(x)R(x)?P(Q(x)) = P(x) \cdot R(x)?

1919

2222

2424

2727

3232

Answer: B
Concepts:polynomialcasework
Difficulty rating: 2520
Solution:

Since P(x)R(x)P(x)R(x) has degree 66 and P(Q(x))P(Q(x)) has degree 3degQ,3\deg Q, we need degQ=2.\deg Q = 2. A quadratic QQ is determined by the ordered triple (Q(1),Q(2),Q(3)).(Q(1), Q(2), Q(3)).

At x=1,2,3x = 1, 2, 3 the right side vanishes, so P(Q(x))=0,P(Q(x)) = 0, forcing each of Q(1),Q(2),Q(3)Q(1), Q(2), Q(3) into {1,2,3}.\{1, 2, 3\}. That gives 2727 triples.

Five of them give a polynomial of degree less than 2:2: the constants from (1,1,1),(2,2,2),(3,3,3)(1,1,1), (2,2,2), (3,3,3) and the linear Q(x)=xQ(x) = x from (1,2,3)(1,2,3) and Q(x)=4xQ(x) = 4 - x from (3,2,1).(3,2,1). The other 275=2227 - 5 = 22 triples are non-collinear and yield genuine quadratics.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

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