2022 AMC 12A Problem 17

Attempt Problem 17 of the 2022 AMC 12A 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 2022 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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17.

Suppose aa is a real number such that the equation

a(sinx+sin(2x))=sin(3x)a\cdot(\sin x+\sin(2x))=\sin(3x)

has more than one solution in the interval (0,π).(0,\pi). The set of all such aa can be written in the form (p,q)(q,r),(p,q)\cup(q,r), where p,p, q,q, and rr are real numbers with p<q<r.p\lt q\lt r. What is p+q+r?p+q+r?

4-4

1-1

00

11

44

Answer: A
Concepts:trigonometric identitycasework
Difficulty rating: 1990
Solution:

Since sinx0\sin x\ne0 on (0,π),(0,\pi), divide by sinx:\sin x: a(1+2cosx)=4cos2x1=(2cosx1)(2cosx+1). \begin{gathered} a(1+2\cos x)=4\cos^2 x-1 \\ =(2\cos x-1)(2\cos x+1). \end{gathered}

When cosx=12\cos x=-\tfrac12 (that is, x=2π3x=\tfrac{2\pi}{3}) both sides vanish, so this is a solution for every a.a. Otherwise we may cancel 1+2cosx1+2\cos x to get a=2cosx1,a=2\cos x-1, i.e. cosx=a+12.\cos x=\dfrac{a+1}{2}.

This yields a second solution in (0,π)(0,\pi) exactly when 1<a+12<1,-1\lt\dfrac{a+1}{2}\lt1, that is a(3,1),a\in(-3,1), and it is distinct from x=2π3x=\tfrac{2\pi}{3} unless a=2.a=-2.

So more than one solution occurs for a(3,2)(2,1),a\in(-3,-2)\cup(-2,1), giving p+q+r=32+1=4.p+q+r=-3-2+1=-4.

Thus, the correct answer is A.

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