2023 AMC 12A Problem 25

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 25 of the 2023 AMC 12A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2023 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:De Moivre’s Theorembinomial theorem

Difficulty rating: 2650

25.

There is a unique sequence of integers a1,a2,a2023a_1,a_2,\cdots a_{2023} such that tan2023x=a1tanx+a3tan3x+a5tan5x++a2023tan2023x1+a2tan2x+a4tan4x+a2022tan2022x \tan 2023x =\dfrac{a_1\tan x+a_3\tan^3 x+a_5\tan^5 x+\cdots+a_{2023}\tan^{2023}x}{1+a_2\tan^2 x+a_4\tan^4 x\cdots+a_{2022}\tan^{2022}x} whenever tan2023x\tan 2023x is defined. What is a2023?a_{2023}?

2023-2023

2022-2022

1-1

11

20232023

Solution:

By De Moivre, (cosx+isinx)2023=cos2023x+isin2023x.(\cos x+i\sin x)^{2023}=\cos 2023x+i\sin 2023x. Expanding the left side and taking the ratio of imaginary to real parts gives tan2023x\tan 2023x as the stated rational function of tanx\tan x after dividing numerator and denominator by cos2023x.\cos^{2023}x.

The coefficient a2023a_{2023} is the coefficient of tan2023x\tan^{2023}x in the numerator, which comes from the k=2023k=2023 term: a2023=(1)(20231)/2(20232023)=(1)1011=1. a_{2023}=(-1)^{(2023-1)/2}\binom{2023}{2023}=(-1)^{1011}=-1.

Thus, the correct answer is C.

Problem 25 in Other Years