2020 AMC 12B Problem 23

Attempt Problem 23 of the 2020 AMC 12B 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 2020 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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

23.

How many integers n≥2n \ge 2 are there such that whenever z1,z_1, z2,z_2, …,\ldots, znz_n are complex numbers such that ∣z1∣=∣z2∣=⋯=∣zn∣=1 |z_1| = |z_2| = \cdots = |z_n| = 1 and z1+z2+⋯+zn=0, z_1 + z_2 + \cdots + z_n = 0, then the numbers z1,z_1, z2,z_2, …,\ldots, znz_n are equally spaced on the unit circle in the complex plane?
11
22
33
44
55
Answer: B
Concepts:roots of unitycomplex numbercounterexample
Small hint:
Check small cases: n=2n = 2 forces antipodal points and n=3n = 3 forces an equilateral triangle
Big hint:
For n≥4,n \ge 4, build a counterexample by combining a smaller balanced configuration with an antipodal pair
Solution:
For n=2,n = 2, z1+z2=0z_1 + z_2 = 0 forces z2=−z1,z_2 = -z_1, which is equally spaced. For n=3,n = 3, three unit vectors summing to zero must form an equilateral triangle, so they are equally spaced.
For every even n≥4,n\ge4, choose n2\frac{n}{2} antipodal pairs at generic angles that do not form a regular nn-gon. For every odd n≥5,n\ge5, choose the vertices of an equilateral triangle together with n−32\frac{n-3}{2} generic antipodal pairs. Each construction has sum 00 but is not equally spaced.
Hence only n=2n = 2 and n=3n = 3 work, giving 22 values.
Thus, the correct answer is B.
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