2004 AIME I Problem 2

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 2 of the 2004 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2004 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:arithmetic sequencemeanabsolute value

Difficulty rating: 2110

2.

Set A\mathcal{A} consists of mm consecutive integers whose sum is 2m,2m, and set B\mathcal{B} consists of 2m2m consecutive integers whose sum is m.m. The absolute value of the difference between the greatest element of A\mathcal{A} and the greatest element of B\mathcal{B} is 99.99. Find m.m.

Solution:

The mm integers of A\mathcal{A} have mean 2mm=2,\frac{2m}{m} = 2, so they are centered at 2;2; since the mean of consecutive integers is an integer only when there are an odd number of them, mm is odd and the greatest element of A\mathcal{A} is 2+m12.2 + \frac{m-1}{2}. The 2m2m integers of B\mathcal{B} have mean 12,\frac{1}{2}, so they are 1m,,0,1,,m,1 - m, \ldots, 0, 1, \ldots, m, with greatest element m.m.

The condition is 2+m12m=3m2=99,\left| 2 + \frac{m-1}{2} - m \right| = \left| \frac{3 - m}{2} \right| = 99, so 3m=198,|3 - m| = 198, giving m=201m = 201 (since m>0m \gt 0). Indeed 201201 is odd, as required, so m=201.m = 201.

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