2005 AIME I Problem 2

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 2 of the 2005 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2005 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:arithmetic sequencefactor counting

Difficulty rating: 1840

2.

For each positive integer k,k, let SkS_k denote the increasing arithmetic sequence of integers whose first term is 11 and whose common difference is k.k. For example, S3S_3 is the sequence 1,4,7,.1, 4, 7, \ldots. For how many values of kk does SkS_k contain the term 2005?2005?

Solution:

The nnth term of SkS_k is 1+(n1)k,1 + (n-1)k, so 20052005 is a term exactly when (n1)k=2004(n-1)k = 2004 for some positive integer n,n, that is, exactly when kk divides 2004.2004. Every divisor works, since n1=2004kn - 1 = \frac{2004}{k} is then a positive integer.

Since 2004=223167,2004 = 2^2 \cdot 3 \cdot 167, the number of divisors is (2+1)(1+1)(1+1)=12.(2+1)(1+1)(1+1) = 12.

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