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Difference between revisions of "2004 AIME I Problems/Problem 7"

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Consider the set <math>[-1, 2,-3,4,-5,6,-7,8,-9,10,-11,12,-13,14,-15]</math>. Denote by <math>S</math> all size 2 subsets of this set. Replace each element of <math>S</math> by the product of the elements. Now, the quantity we seek is the sum of each element. Since consecutive elements add to <math>1</math> or <math>-1</math>, we can simplify this to <math>|-1\cdot(-7)+2\cdot(-9)-3\cdot(-6)+4\cdot(-10)-5\cdot(-5)+\ldots+12\cdot(-14)-13\cdot(-1)+14\cdot(-15)|=|-588|=\boxed{588}</math>.
 
Consider the set <math>[-1, 2,-3,4,-5,6,-7,8,-9,10,-11,12,-13,14,-15]</math>. Denote by <math>S</math> all size 2 subsets of this set. Replace each element of <math>S</math> by the product of the elements. Now, the quantity we seek is the sum of each element. Since consecutive elements add to <math>1</math> or <math>-1</math>, we can simplify this to <math>|-1\cdot(-7)+2\cdot(-9)-3\cdot(-6)+4\cdot(-10)-5\cdot(-5)+\ldots+12\cdot(-14)-13\cdot(-1)+14\cdot(-15)|=|-588|=\boxed{588}</math>.
 +
 +
==Solution 4==
 +
Let set <math>N</math> be <math>\{-1, -3, \ldots -15\}</math> and set <math>P</math> be <math>\{2, 4, \ldots 14\}</math>. The sum of the negative <math>x^2</math> coefficients is the sum of the products of the elements in all two element sets such that one element is from <math>N</math> and the other is from <math>P</math>. Each summand is a term in the expansion of
 +
<cmath>(-1 - 3 - \ldots - 15)(2 + 4 + \ldots + 14)</cmath>
 +
which equals <math>-56 * 64 = -(60^2 - 4^2) = -3584</math>. The sum of the positive <math>x^2</math> coefficients is the sum of the products of all two element sets such that the two elements are either both in <math>N</math> or both in <math>P</math>. By counting, the sum is <math>2992</math>, so the sum of all <math>x^2</math> coefficients is <math>-588</math>. Thus, the answer is <math>\boxed{588}</math>.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Revision as of 18:00, 30 March 2018

Problem

Let $C$ be the coefficient of $x^2$ in the expansion of the product $(1 - x)(1 + 2x)(1 - 3x)\cdots(1 + 14x)(1 - 15x).$ Find $|C|.$

Solution

Solution 1

Let our polynomial be $P(x)$.

It is clear that the coefficient of $x$ in $P(x)$ is $-1 + 2 - 3 + \ldots + 14 - 15 = -8$, so $P(x) = 1 -8x + Cx^2 + Q(x)$, where $Q(x)$ is some polynomial divisible by $x^3$.

Then $P(-x) = 1 + 8x + Cx^2 + Q(-x)$ and so $P(x)\cdot P(-x) = 1 + (2C - 64)x^2 + R(x)$, where $R(x)$ is some polynomial divisible by $x^3$.

However, we also know $P(x)\cdot P(-x) = (1 - x)(1 + x)(1 +2x)(1 - 2x) \cdots (1 - 15x)(1 + 15x)$ $= (1 - x^2)(1 - 4x^2)\cdots(1 - 225x^2)$ $= 1 - (1 + 4 + \ldots + 225)x^2 + R(x)$.

Equating coefficients, we have $2C - 64 = -(1 + 4 + \ldots + 225) = -1240$, so $-2C = 1176$ and $|C| = \boxed{588}$.

Solution 2

Let $S$ be the set of integers $\{-1,2,-3,\ldots,14,-15\}$. The coefficient of $x^2$ in the expansion is equal to the sum of the product of each pair of distinct terms, or $C = \sum_{1 \le i \neq j}^{15} S_iS_j$. Also, we know that \begin{align*}\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} S_i\right)^2 &= \left(\sum_{i=1}^{n} S_i^2\right) + 2\left(\sum_{1 \le i \neq j}^{15} S_iS_j\right)\\ (-8)^2 &= \frac{15(15+1)(2\cdot 15+1)}{6} + 2C\end{align*} where the left-hand sum can be computed from:

$\sum_{i=1}^{15} S_i = S_{15} + \left(\sum_{i=1}^{7} S_{2i-1} + S_{2i}\right) = -15 + 7 = -8$

and the right-hand sum comes from the formula for the sum of the first $n$ perfect squares. Therefore, $|C| = \left|\frac{64-1240}{2}\right| = \boxed{588}$.

Solution 3 (Bash)

Consider the set $[-1, 2,-3,4,-5,6,-7,8,-9,10,-11,12,-13,14,-15]$. Denote by $S$ all size 2 subsets of this set. Replace each element of $S$ by the product of the elements. Now, the quantity we seek is the sum of each element. Since consecutive elements add to $1$ or $-1$, we can simplify this to $|-1\cdot(-7)+2\cdot(-9)-3\cdot(-6)+4\cdot(-10)-5\cdot(-5)+\ldots+12\cdot(-14)-13\cdot(-1)+14\cdot(-15)|=|-588|=\boxed{588}$.

Solution 4

Let set $N$ be $\{-1, -3, \ldots -15\}$ and set $P$ be $\{2, 4, \ldots 14\}$. The sum of the negative $x^2$ coefficients is the sum of the products of the elements in all two element sets such that one element is from $N$ and the other is from $P$. Each summand is a term in the expansion of \[(-1 - 3 - \ldots - 15)(2 + 4 + \ldots + 14)\] which equals $-56 * 64 = -(60^2 - 4^2) = -3584$. The sum of the positive $x^2$ coefficients is the sum of the products of all two element sets such that the two elements are either both in $N$ or both in $P$. By counting, the sum is $2992$, so the sum of all $x^2$ coefficients is $-588$. Thus, the answer is $\boxed{588}$.

See also

2004 AIME I (Problems • Answer Key • Resources)
Preceded by
Problem 6 		Followed by
Problem 8
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All AIME Problems and Solutions

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