Solutions 2016 AB Exam

Texas A&M High School Math Contest

October 22, 2016

1. If (x, y) is a point on the circle x2 + y 2 = 1 and the distance from (x, y) to (0, 1) is 65 , what
is the value of y?

7
ANSWER: 25

p 6
Solution: (x − 0)2 + (y − 1)2 = 5
36
x2 + (y − 1)2 = 25
36
x2 + y 2 − 2y + 1 = 25
36
1 − 2y + 1 = 25
36 14
2y = 2 − 25 = 25
7
y= 25

2. A line with slope 2 intersects a line with slope 6 at the point (40, 30). What is the distance
between the y-intercepts of these lines?

ANSWER: 160

Solution: Let the two lines be y = 2x+b and y = 6x+c. We have 30 = 80+b and 30 = 240+c.
Hence 80 + b = 240 + c and |b − c| = b − c = 240 − 80 = 160.

3. What is the remainder when the polynomial p(x) = (x − 2)2015 is divided by the polynomial
q(x) = x − 1?

ANSWER: −1

Solution: By the division algorithm

(x − 2)2015 = q(x)(x − 1) + r

where r is a constant. Substituting 1 gives r = (−1)2015 = −1.

4. For each positive integer n let s(n) be the sum of the digits of n. For example s(23) =
5, s(1014) = 6, etc. What is the minimum value of s(44 · n) where n = 1, 2, 3, ...?

ANSWER: 2

Solution: It is reasonable to start with n = 5. s(44 · 5) = s(220) = 4. Multiply by 5 again

and get s(220 · 5) = s(1100) = 2. Since 44 does not divide a power of 10, this is as small as
possible.

5. Find the number of distinct real numbers x which have the property that the median of the
five different numbers x, 6, 4, 1, 9 is equal to their mean.

ANSWER: 3

Solution: The mean of x, 6, 4, 1, 9 is

x+1+4+6+9 x + 20 x
= = + 4.
5 5 5
The median of x, 6, 4, 1, 9 depends on the size of x. if x < 4 then x, 1, 4, 6, 9 has median 4, so
we want x5 + 4 = 4 and x = 0. If x > 6 the median is 6 and we want x5 + 4 = 6 or x = 10. If
x is between 4 and 6 the median is x and we want x5 + 4 = x, i.e. 54 x = 4, x = 5. There are
no other possible values of x.

6. Which integer is nearest in value to the sum

2007 8001 2001
+ + ?
2999 5998 3999

ANSWER: 3

2007 2
Solution: 2999 > 3 since 6021 > (2)(2999)

8001 8 4
5998 > 6 = 3 since 24003 > 4(5998)

2001 2 1
3999 > 4 = 2 since 4002 > 3999.

2 4 1
So the sum is slightly larger than 3 + 3 + 2 = 2 12 but is not as large as 3.
7. Find all numbers m such that the lines y = x − 2 and y = mx + 3 intersect at a point whose
coordinates are both positive.

ANSWER: − 32 < m < 1 or m ∈ (− 23 , 1)

Solution: y = x − 2
y = mx + 3
−5
gives (m − 1)x + 5 = 0 and x = m−1 .
The y value of the intersection point is
5 −5 − 2m + 2 −2m − 3
y=− −2= = .
m−1 m−1 m−1
−5 −2m−3
We want x > 0 and y > 0 so m−1 > 0 and m−1 > 0.
This implies m − 1 < 0 and −2m − 3 < 0
m < 1 and m > − 32 .

8. A point (x, y) is called an integer point if both x and y are integers. How many points in the
graph of
1 1 1
+ =
x y 4
are integer points? For example, (2, −4) is one such point.

ANSWER: 10

1 1 1
Solution: x + y = 4
1 1 1 x−4
y = 4 − x = 4x

4x 4(x−4)+16 16
y= x−4 = x−4 =4+ x−4 .
16
Since y needs to be an integer, then x−4 needs to be an integer, i.e. x − 4 divides 16 for
integer values of x. There are 10 possibilities: x − 4 = −16, −8, −4, −2, −1, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. Each
gives an integer point.

9. Consider the equation x2 + px + q = 0. If the roots of this equation differ by 2, find q in terms
of p.
p2 − 4
ANSWER: q =
4
√
−p± p2 −4q
Solution: Let the roots be x1 and x − 2. Then x, x2 = 2 .
p
Thus, x1 − x2 = p2 − 4q = 2, or p2 − 4q = 4. Hence
p2 − 4
q= .
4
10. The graph of y = ax2 + bx + c is as shown.How many of the following expressions are positive?

ab, ac, b, a + b + c, a−b+c

1
x

ANSWER: Two

Solution: The parabola opens up, so a > 0. The roots of y are positive, so b < 0 and c > 0.
So ab < 0, ac > 0. The graph shows y(1) < 0 which means a + b + c < 0. It also shows
y(−1) > 0 which means a − b + c > 0.

11. One and only one of the following integers does not divide

21650 − 1.

Which integer is it?

(a) 3 (b) 7 (c) 31 (d) 127 (e) 2047

ANSWER: 127 or d
Solution: Note that each of the above numbers is one less than a power of two. That is,

3 = 22 − 1, 7 = 23 − 1, 31 = 25 − 1, 127 = 27 − 1, and 2047 = 211 − 1

Moreover each of these exponents, with the exception of 7, divides 1650. Thus, the numbers
3, 7, 31, and 2047, divide 21650 − 1, while 127 does not. The following lines demonstrate the
reasoning:

150
21650 − 1 = 211 − 1 = (2047 + 1)150 − 1 = (k · 2047 + 1) − 1 = k · 2047, for some k.

235 5
21650 − 1 = 27 · 2 − 1 = (127 + 1)235 · 32 − 1 = (k · 127 + 1) · 32 − 1 = k · 127 + 31, for some k.

12. Find the value of the product

1 1 1 1 1
(1 − 2
)(1 − 3 )(1 − 2 )...(1 − 2 )(1 − ).
2 3 4 99 1002
 101
ANSWER: 200

Solution: The product can be written

22 − 1 32 − 1 42 − 1 992 − 1 1002 − 1
· · · =
22 32 42 992 1002
1·32·43·5 98 · 100 99 · 101
··· =
2·23·34·4 99 · 99 100 · 100
(1 · 2 · 3 · · · 98 · 99) (3 · 4 · 5 · · · 101)
=
(1 · 2 · 3 · · · 99 · 100) (1 · 2 · 3 · · · 99 · 100)
1 101 101
· = .
100 2 200

13. The curve y = x4 − 8x3 + 9x2 + 20x + 2 intersects the line y = 2x + 1 at four distinct points.
Find the average y-value of the intersection points.

ANSWER: 5

Solution: Let x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 be the x-coordinates of the four points. Then x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 are the
roots of
(x4 − 8x3 + 9x2 + 20x + 2) − (2x + 1) = x4 − 8x3 + 9x2 + 18x + 1.
So x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 = 8. If y1 , ..., y4 are the corresponding y-coordinates, then yi = 2xi + 1
and

y1 + y2 + y3 + y4 = (2x1 + 1) + (2x2 + 1) + (2x3 + 1) + (2x4 + 1)

= 2(8) + 4 = 20.

20
The average is = 5.
4
14. The sum of the squares of three prime numbers is 182. What is the sum of the three primes?

ANSWER: 18

Solution: Since 182 is even one of the primes must be 2. Let p and q be the odd primes.
Then 22 + p2 + q 2 = 182 and p2 + q 2 = 178. The only possible primes p are 3, 5, 7, 11, and
13 as 152 = 225 > 178. The squares of these primes are shown below.

p 3 5 7 11 13
p2 9 25 49 121 169

One of the primes must be 13 as 121 + 49 < 178. Thus, the second prime must be 3, and the
sum of the primes is 2 + 3 + 13 = 18.

15. Duke had an average score of 85 on his first eight quizzes. He had an average score of 81 on
his first nine quizzes. What score did he receive on his ninth quiz?

ANSWER: 49

Solution: Let S1 , ..., S8 , S9 be the quiz scores. We are given (S1 + ... + S8 )/8 = 85, so
S1 + ... + S8 = (8)(85) = 680. Similarly (S1 + ... + S9 )/9 = 81 and S1 + ... + S8 + S9 =
(9)(81) = 729. This means 680 + S9 = 729 and S9 = 49.

16. We have a collection of balls, each labelled 1, 2, 3, ..., or 100. These balls are placed in a
jar. After repeated trials it is determined that the probability of selecting a ball from the jar
labelled n equals n times the probability of selecting a ball labelled 1. What is the probability
of slecting a ball labelled 50?

1
ANSWER:
101

Solution: Let P r(n) be the probability of selecting a ball labelled n. If P r(1) = x, we are
given

P r(1) = x
P r(2) = 2x
..
.
P r(100) = 100x.
 We must have
P r(1) + P r(2) + ... + P r(100) = 1
x + 2x + ... + 100x = 1
(1 + 2 + ... + 100)x = 1
(50)(101)x = 1
1 1
x= .
50 101
1
So P r(50) = 50x = .
101

17. Find the smallest integer n ≥ 100 such that n2 + 4n + 2 is divisible by 7.

ANSWER: 100

Solution: Write n = 7q + r with r ∈ {0, 1, ..., 6}.

n2 + 4n + 2 = (7q + r)2 + 4(7q + r) + 2
= 7(7q 2 + 2qr + 4q) + r2 + 4r + 2,
and we want this to be divisible by 7. So we need 7 to divide r2 +4r +2. The only possibilities
for r are r = 1 and r = 2, with q arbitrary. Since n = 7q + r and n ≥ 100 then q is at least
14. With q = 14 and r = 2 we have
n = 7(14) + 2 = 100.

18. How many 3-element subsets of {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} are there such that they contain at
least two consecutive integers?

ANSWER: 64

Solution: The number of subsets of three elements containing 0, 1 is 8. Similarly for 1, 2 etc.
giving a total of (9)(8) = 72. But in this count, the 8 subsets {0, 1, 2}, {1, 2, 3}, ...{7, 8, 9}
have been counted twice. So 72 − 8 = 64.

19. Find the smallest positive integer n such that when n is divided by 5 there is a remainder of
1 and when n is divided by 6 there is a remainder of 2.

ANSWER: 26

Solution: We have n = 5s + 1 = 6t + 2 for some integers s and t. Since 5s + 1 = 6t + 2

then 5s − 6t = 1. One solution to this equation is s = −1, t = −1, which gives n = −4.
Since 30 is the least common multiple of 5 and 6 we obtain other possibilities for n, namely
n = −4 + 30k. The least positive value for n is when k = 1, which gives n = 26.
20. Find the largest integer k such that 135k divides 2016!
(n!, n factorial, is defined as n! = 1 · 2 · · · n).

ANSWER: 334

Solution: Since 135 = 5·27 = 5·33 , then 135k = 5k ·33k . Let a be the number of 50 s in the prime
factorization of 2016! and b be the number of 30 s in it. We need to find the largest integer k
such that k ≤ a, 3k ≤ b. Consider all integers from 1 to 2016. Since 2016 = 5 · 403 + 1, there
are 403 integers in that interval divisible by 5. Since 2016 = 25 · 80 + 16, there are 80 integers
there divisible by 52 = 25. Since 2016 = 125 · 16 + 16, there are 16 integers there divisible by
53 = 125. Finally, since 2016 = 625 · 3 + 141 there are 3 integers there divisible by 54 = 625.
Overall the number of 5s in the prime factorization of 2016! is 403 + 80 + 16 + 3 = 502.
Analogously, let us compute b, the number of 30 s in 2016!. Since

2016 = 3 · 672 = 9 · 224 = 27 · 74 + 18 = 81 · 24 + 72 = 243 · 8 + 72 = 729 · 2 + 558,

we conclude that b = 672 + 224 + 74 + 24 + 8 + 2 = 1004. Thus, 3k ≤ 1004, or k ≤ 334. So

k ≤ 334 and also, k ≤ 502, we conclude that k = 334 is the largest integer such that 135k
divides 2016!.