2012 AIME I Problem 6

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 6 of the 2012 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2012 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:roots of unitycomplex number

Difficulty rating: 2300

6.

The complex numbers zz and ww satisfy z13=w,z^{13} = w, w11=z,w^{11} = z, and the imaginary part of zz is sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) for relatively prime positive integers mm and nn with m<n.m \lt n. Find n.n.

Solution:

Substituting, z=w11=(z13)11=z143,z = w^{11} = (z^{13})^{11} = z^{143}, and z0,z \ne 0, so z142=1.z^{142} = 1. Conversely, any 142142nd root of unity zz works with w=z13,w = z^{13}, since then w11=z143=z.w^{11} = z^{143} = z.

Hence z=cos2kπ142+isin2kπ142z = \cos\frac{2k\pi}{142} + i\sin\frac{2k\pi}{142} for some integer k,k, and the imaginary part of zz is sinkπ71.\sin\frac{k\pi}{71}. Since 7171 is prime, for every kk with 1k701 \le k \le 70 the fraction k71\frac{k}{71} is already in lowest terms, matching the required form sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) with m<n.m \lt n. Thus n=71.n = 71.

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