MathPath 2015 Qualifying Test Solutions

Anonymous
December 31, 2014
Abstract
If you want to get into this camp, edit the solutions so it doesnt look like you cheated. Im publishing
this because I hate MathPath. Happy New Year!

1. Let your opponent choose the set S. Let S have a
positive numbers, b negative numbers, and c zeros.
Since |S| = n, we have a + b + c = n. There are n2 pairs in total. A pair has a negative product if it
has one negative
and one positive number in it, so there are ab pairs with negative products. Therefore,


there are n2 ab pairs that are nonnegative.


Your opponent would choose a, b, c to minimize the value of n2 ab because he wishes to keep your
score down. Therefore,
the highest score you can be sure to get against a smart enemy is the minimum


value of x = n2 ab.


Since n2 is a fixed value, the minimum of x occurs when ab is maximized. By AM-GM, we have
2 
2  
nc
n0
n 2
=

=
ab
2
2
2


which is attained if and only if (a, b, c) = n2 , n2 , 0 .


2
If n is even, then take (a, b, c) = n2 , n2 , 0 to attain this maximum of n4 , giving a minimum of


a+b
2

2

 
n
n(n 1) n2
n(n 2)
n2
=

2
4
2
4
4


n1
If n is odd, then take (a, b, c) = n+1
2 , 2 , 0 to attain a maximum of ab
2
is clearly the largest integer less than n4 ), giving a minimum of
 
n
n2 1
n(n 1) n2 1
(n 1)2

=
2
4
2
4
4

(n+1)(n1)
4

n2 1
4

(which

2. (a) First, we know that Cecille was 99 years old when she died on October 30th, 2005. Therefore, her
birthday was some date between October 31st, 1905 and October 30th, 1906. William decided
to marry Cecile when she was eighteen, so he decided some date between October 31st, 1923 and
October 29th, 1925. They married in 1928, which is January 1st, 1928 to December 31st, 1928.
The final answer is:
31-Oct-1923 29-Oct-1925; 1-Jan-1928 31-Dec-1928
(b) Write whatever here, and make it your own so you dont get caught. Maybe something along the
lines of bounding is important in real math.

3. We know that p(1) is equal to the sum of the coefficients of p. Since each coefficient is positive, p(1)
is greater than or equal to the largest coefficient of p. Therefore, we can ask for p(10) to get an upper
bound on the coefficients of p. Specifically, if p(1) has m digits, then each coefficient can have at most
m digits.
Ask for p(10m+1 ), and the coefficients will be magically encoded in the value they give. Let t =
p(10m+1 ) If p(x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + + an xn , then t = a0 + a1 10m+1 + a2 102m+2 + + an 10nm+n .
Take t (mod 10m+1 ) to get a0 (mod 10m+1 ). However, a0 (mod 10m+1 ) is just the last m digits of a0 .
Since a0 has at most m digits, this must be all of the digits of a0 , so now we know a0 . To find a1 ,
ta0
m+1
+ + an 10(n1)m+(n1) . Using the same process, we have t0 a1
take t0 = 10
m+1 = a1 + a2 10
m+1
(mod 10
), which is the last m digits of a1 , which is all of the digits of a1 . Repeat this process until
you have all of the coefficients, and then you have your enemys polynomial.
Thus, the strategy is to ask for p(1) to find m, then p(10m+1 ) to find the coefficients encoded in its
digits.
Note: the process is simpler than it looks, its just hard to explain on paper. If p(x) = 100x2 + x + 157,
then we ask for p(1) = 258, which has m = 3 digits. Then ask for p(103 ) = p(1000) to get 100(10002 ) +
1000 + 157 = 100001157. Group these by sets of m = 3 digits to get the coefficients: 100 | 001 | 157.
Thus, the polynomial is 100x2 + 1 x + 157.

4. (a) The diagram is shown below.

E
D
F

(b) We have
BF C = 180 C F BC = 180 C (B EBF ) = A + EBF = 70 = C
Thus, 4BCF is isosceles with BF = BC. Since the two triangles are equilateral, they are
congruent.
(c) We must have BF = BC, so
C = BF C = 180 BF A = 180 (180 A ABF ) = A + 60
Therefore, all triangles with angles (A, B, C) = (, 120 2, + 60 ) work. However, we
must have 120 2, + 60 > 60 , so 0 < < 30 .

5. (a) Let n = ak ak1 . . . a1 a0 so that we want

2n = a0 ak ak1 . . . a2 a1 =

n a0
+ 10k a0
10

or
19n = (10k+1 1)a0
First, we must have 19 | 10k+1 1 since 0 a0 9. From Fermats Little Theorem, we know
that 19 | 10k+1 1 if k 1 (mod 18). Therefore, we must have k = 18j 1 (technically, we
would have to check all 0 k 17, but I dont think youll get points off for not stating this).
Knowing that

10(18j1)+1 1
19

is an integer, all that remains is to find out when

n=

10(18j1)+1 1
1018j 1
a0 =
a0
19
19

actually has a final digit of a0 . That is, this n only works if

1018j 1
a0 a0
19

(mod 10)

18j

We now prove that 10 191 1 (mod 10). To do this, note that 191 9 1 (mod 10) and
1018j 1 1 (mod 10), from which the conclusion follows. Finally, before concluding, note
that a0 = 0 gives n = 0, so 1 a0 9. Thus, the solution set is all
n=

1018j 1
a0
19

where j 1, 1 a0 9.
(b) Let n = ak ak1 . . . a1 a0 so that we want
2n = ak1 ak2 . . . a1 a0 ak = 10(n 10k ak ) + ak
or
8n = (10k+1 1)ak
Since k 0, 10k+1 1 is odd, so 8 | ak . Since 0 ak 9, we must have ak = 8. However,
that would imply n = 10k+1 1, so n is a string of 9s, which contradicts that its first digit is 8.
Therefore, no numbers have this property.

6. (a) Using the given identity 2 = + 1, we have

( + 2)2 = 2 + 4 + 4 = ( + 1) + 4 + 4 = 5 + 5 = 5( + 1) = 52
as desired.
(b) Using the given identity 2 = + 1, we have
5 = (2 )2 = ( + 1)2 = (2 + 2 + 1) = (3 + 2) = 32 + 2 = 5 + 3
Rewriting the given identity as 1 = 1, we have
5 = ( 1)5 = (( 1)2 )2 ( 1) = (2 2 + 1)2 ( 1) = ( + 2)2 ( 1)
= (2 4 + 4)( 1) = (3 + 5)( 1) = 32 + 8 5 = 5 8
(c) Rewrite as

+ 2 = (p + q)(3 + 4) = 3p2 + (4p + 3q) + 4q = 3p( + 1) + (4p + 3q) + 4q

= (7p + 3q) + (3p + 4q)
2
Solving the system 7p + 3q = 1, 3p + 4q = 2, we get p = 19
and q =

11
19 .

(d) Notice that

2 1 = (1 )2 (1 ) 1 = (1 2 + 2 ) + 2 = 2 1 = 0
so also satisfies the identity 2 = + 1. Since the above solutions manipulated this identity
only, it doesnt matter which root of 0 = x2 x 1 we use.

7. (a) Independent of the actual terms of the sequence fn , as long as fn satisfies fn = fn1 + fn2 , then
we have

fn = fn1 +fn2 = (fn2 +fn3 )+fn2 = 2fn2 +fn3 = 2fn2 +(fn2 fn4 ) = 3fn2 fn4
(b) Independent of the actual terms of the sequence tn , as long as tn satisfies tn = tn1 + tn2 + tn3 ,
then we have

tn = tn1 + tn2 + tn3 = 2tn2 + 2tn3 + tn4 = 4tn3 + 3tn4 + 2tn5

= 7tn3 tn5 3tn6 = 7tn3 4tn6 tn7 tn8
= 7tn3 5tn6 + tn9
(c) Let sn = sn1 + sn2 + + snk . This linear recurrence has a characteristic polynomial of
k (x) = xk xk1 xk2 1, so let the roots of k be r1 , r2 , . . . , rk . By the principles of
linear recurrence and characteristic polynomials, we know that
sn = c1 r1n + c2 r2n + + ck rkn
for some coefficients c1 , c2 , . . . , ck . Therefore, a recurrence for sn in terms of snk , sn2k , . . . , snk2
would have a characteristic polynomial with roots r1k , r2k , . . . , rkk .
For example, fn = fn1 + fn2 has a characteristic polynomial of x2 x 1 with roots r1 , r2 .
From Vietas formulas, a polynomial with roots r12 , r22 would be x2 (r12 + r22 )x + r12 r22 = x2
(12 2(1))x + (1)2 = x2 3x + 1. Therefore, fn = 3fn2 fn4 .