Difference between revisions of "2014 AIME II Problems/Problem 5"

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(Problem 5)
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==Problem 5==
 
==Problem 5==
Real numbers <math>r</math> and <math>s</math> are roots of <math>p(x)=x^3+ax+b</math>, and <math>r+4</math> and <math>s-3</math> are roots of <math>q(x)=x^3+ax+b+240</math>. Find the sum of all possible values of <math>|b|</math>.
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<!-- don't remove the following tag, for PoTW on the Wiki front page--><onlyinclude>Real numbers <math>r</math> and <math>s</math> are roots of <math>p(x)=x^3+ax+b</math>, and <math>r+4</math> and <math>s-3</math> are roots of <math>q(x)=x^3+ax+b+240</math>. Find the sum of all possible values of <math>|b|</math>.<!-- don't remove the following tag, for PoTW on the Wiki front page--></onlyinclude>
 
 
  
 
==Solution==
 
==Solution==

Revision as of 17:45, 27 March 2015

Problem 5

Real numbers $r$ and $s$ are roots of $p(x)=x^3+ax+b$, and $r+4$ and $s-3$ are roots of $q(x)=x^3+ax+b+240$. Find the sum of all possible values of $|b|$.

Solution

Let $r$, $s$, and $-r-s$ be the roots of $p(x)$ (per Vieta's). Then $r^3 + ar + b = 0$ and similarly for $s$. Also, \[q(r+4) = (r+4)^3 + a(r+4) + b  + 240 = 12r^2 + 48r + 304 + 4a = 0\]

Set up a similar equation for $s$:

\[q(s-3) = (s-3)^3 + a(s-3) + b + 240 = -9s^2 + 27s + 213 - 3a = 0.\]

Simplifying and adding the equations gives \[3r^2 - 3s^2 + 12r + 9s + 147 = 0\]

\[r^2 - s^2 + 4r + 3s + 49 = 0 (*)\]

Now, let's deal with the $a*x$ terms. Plugging the roots $r$, $s$, and $-r-s$ into $p(x)$ yields a long polynomial, and plugging the roots $r+4$, $s-3$, and $-1-r-s$ into $q(x)$ yields another long polynomial. Equating the coefficients of x in both polynomials: \[rs + (-r-s)(r+s) = (r+4)(s-3) + (-r-s-1)(r+s+1),\] which eventually simplifies to

\[s = \frac{13 + 5r}{2}.\]

Substitution into (*) should give $r = -5$ and $r = 1$, corresponding to $s = -6$ and $s = 9$, and $|b| = 330, 90$, for an answer of $\boxed{420}$.

See also

2014 AIME II (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 4
Followed by
Problem 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All AIME Problems and Solutions

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