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Solutions 2015 AB Exam

This document contains 16 math problems and their solutions from the 2015 Texas A&M High School Math Contest. The problems cover a range of topics including arithmetic, algebra, probability, number theory, and combinatorics. The document provides fully worked out steps and explanations for each answer.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
93 views8 pages

Solutions 2015 AB Exam

This document contains 16 math problems and their solutions from the 2015 Texas A&M High School Math Contest. The problems cover a range of topics including arithmetic, algebra, probability, number theory, and combinatorics. The document provides fully worked out steps and explanations for each answer.

Uploaded by

Ach John
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solutions 2015 AB Exam

Texas A&M High School Math Contest


October 24, 2015

1. For how many integers n in the set {1, 2, 3, ..., 150} is n3 − n2 the square of an integer?

ANSWER: 13

Solution: n3 − n2 = n2 (n − 1), so n − 1 needs to be the square of an integer. For 1 ≤ n ≤ 150


we obtain 02 = 1 − 1
12 = 2 − 1
22 = 5 − 1
:
122 = 145 − 1.
So 13 in all.
1 1 1 1
2. If x + y = 5 and x − y = 1, find x + y.

5
ANSWER: 6

Solution:
1 1
x + y =5
1 1
x − y = 1, adding gives
2 1
x = 6 and x = 3
Substitution gives
3 + y1 = 5
1 1
y = 2 and y = 2
x + y = 13 + 21 = 56

3. Daisy has a bag containing 6 distinct objects. She draws one object and replaces it. She does
this four times. What is the probability that she draws the same object exactly three times.
5
ANSWER: 54

Solution: There are 64 possible outcomes. We need to count the number of outcomes having
the same object exactly three times. There are 6 distinct objects, and the number of ways
that object A can be picked three times is 43 · 5 = 4 · 5 = 20. So the probability is
6·(4·5)
64
= 20
63
4·5
= 4·9·6 5
= 54
4. The sum of the first ten terms of a nonzero geometric series is 244 times the sum of the first
five terms. What is the common ratio of this series?

ANSWER: 3

Solution:
a + ar + ... + ar9 = a + ar + ar2 + ar3 + ar4 1 + r5 = 244(a + ar + ar2 + ar3 + ar4 )
 

]5pt] Thus, 1 + r5 = 244 or r4 = 243.


Hence r = 3.

5. Write 2015 in the base 5 numeration system.

ANSWER: 31030

Solution:
51 = 5 2015 = 3(625) + 140
52 = 25 140 = 1(125) + 15
53 = 125 15 = 3(5)
54 = 625

So, 201510 = 310305

6. How many members of the set { 17 , 72 , 37 , ..., 100 2


7 } are integer multiples of 5 ?

ANSWER: 7

K
Solution: Suppose 7 is an integer multiple of 25 . Then K
7 = n 25 for some integer n.

5K = 14n

So 14 divides 5K and since it is relatively prime to 5, 14 divides K. Moreover, 100 = 7×14+2.


Thus, there are 7 integers between 1 and 100 divisible by 14.
7. If f is a function such that f (1) = 1 and f (n) = f (n − 1) + 2n − 1 for all n ≥ 2, find f (100).

ANSWER: 10, 000

Solution:

f (100) = f (99) + 2(100) − 1


= f (98) + 2(99) − 1 + 2(100) − 1
= f (98) + 2(99 + 100) − 2
= f (97) + 2(98) − 1 + 2(99 + 100) − 2
= f (97) + 2(98 + 99 + 100) − 3
..
.
= f (1) + 2(2 + 3 + ... + 99 + 100) − 99
= 1 + 2( (100)(101)
2 − 1) − 99
= (100)(101) − 100
= 10100 − 100
= 10000

8. Find the value of the number A such that the three solutions to x3 − 8x2 + Ax − 12 = 0 are
positive integers.

ANSWER: 19

Solution: Let α, β, γ be the three positive integer solutions to x3 − 8x2 + Ax − 12 = 0. Then


αβγ = 12 and α + β + γ = 8. By inspection the three solutions are {1, 3, 4}. So

A = αβ + βγ + αγ
= 3 + 12 + 4 = 19
9. Let P (x) be a monic polynomial of degree 3. (So the coefficient of x3 is 1.) Suppose that the
remainder when P (x) is divided by x2 − 5x + 6 equals 2 times the remainder when P (x) is
divided by x2 − 5x + 4. If P (0) = 100, find P (5).

ANSWER: 110

Solution: We are given

P (x) = (x2 − 5x + 6)(x + C1 ) + 2(Ax + B)


= (x2 − 5x + 4)(x + C2 ) + Ax + B

where C1 , C2 , A, B are constants.

P (0) = 6C1 + 2B = 4C2 + B = 100.

So

P (5) = 6(5 + C1 ) + 10A + 2B = 30 + 6C1 + 2B + 10A


= 30 + 100 + 10A
= 130 + 10A

and

P (5) = 4(5 + C2 ) + 5A + B = 20 + 4C2 + B + 5A


= 20 + 100 + 5A
= 120 + 5A.

Hence
130 + 10A = 120 + 5A =⇒ 5A = −10 =⇒ A = −2 .
Thus, P (5) = 120 − 10 = 110.

10. How many positive integers less than 1400 have no repeating digits, i.e. no digit occurs more
than once. (For example 103 is such an integer, but 131 is not.)

ANSWER: 906

Solution:

(a) Every single digit (positive) integer is allowed. There are 9 of these.
(b) Two digits: 9 × 9 = 81
(c) Three digits: 9 × 9 × 8 = 648
(d) Four digits: 1 × 3 × 8 × 7 = 168

Adding gives
9 + 81 + 648 + 168 = 906
11. Find all possible ordered pairs (A, B) of digits such that the integer 7A8B is divisible by 45.

ANSWER: (3, 0), (7, 5)

Solution: Since 7A8B is divisible by 45 = 9 · 5 it is divisible by 5 and B ∈ {0, 5}. If B = 0


then 7 + A + 8 + 0 must be divisible by 9 so A = 3.
If B = 5 then 7 + A + 8 + 5 must be divisible by 9, i.e. A = 7. So

(A, B) ∈ {(3, 0), (7, 5)}

12. Among all real numbers x and y such that |x + y| + |x − y| = 10, what is the largest value of
x2 + y 2 − 8y?

ANSWER: 90

Solution: The graph of |x + y| + |x − y| = 10 is the square with vertices (±5, ±5). We have
x2 + y 2 − 8y = x2 + y 2 − 8y + 16 − 16 = x2 + (y − 4)2 − 16. So the maximum value occurs
when x2 and (y − 4)2 are maximal. This occurs (on the square) when x = 5 and y = −5. The
maximum value is

52 + (−9)2 − 16 = 25 + 81 − 16
= 106 − 16 = 90

13. How many ways can one list 1, 2, 3, 4 so that no integer is followed by its successor, i.e. n, n+1
never occurs? For example 2, 1, 4, 3 is one such listing but 2, 1, 3, 4 is not (4 is the successor
of 3).

ANSWER: 11.

Solution: 1 can only be followed by 3 or 4, 2 by 1 or 4, 3 by 1 or 2, 4 by 1, 2, or 3. The


possible lists, of which there are 11, follow:

1324, 1432
2143, 2413, 2431
3142, 3214, 3241
4132, 4213, 4321
14. Exactly one of the five integers listed below is a prime. Which one is the prime number?

(a) 999, 991 (b) 999, 973 (c) 999, 983 (d) 1, 000, 001 (e) 7, 999, 973

ANSWER: (c) or 999, 983

Solution: A difference of two squares and the sum or difference of two cubes always factors.

999, 991 = 1, 000, 000 − 9 = 10002 − 32


999, 973 = 1003 − 33
1, 000, 001 = 1003 + 13
7, 999, 973 = 2003 − 33

So 999, 983 is the prime.

15. The set of integers {1, 2, ..., 20} is divided into k disjoint subsets S1 , S2 , ..., Sk such that no
two different integers whose sum is divisible by 5 are in the same subset. For example 7 and
8 are not in the same subset since 5 divides 7 + 8. What is the least possible value of k?

ANSWER: 4

Solution: The integers 5, 10, 15, 20 must each be in a different subset. So k ≥ 4. In fact, k = 4
using

S1 = {1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 17}


S2 = {3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19}
S3 = {15}
S4 = {20}

16. A number system with base 26 uses as its symbols for digits
A = 0, B = 1, C = 2, ..., Y = 24, Z = 25. Express P + Q in this system.

ANSWER: BF

Solution: P = 15, Q = 16. In base ten P + Q is 15 + 16 = 31 = 1 · 261 + 5 · 260 which is BF .

17. How many ordered pairs (x, y) of integers satisfy x2 + 6x + y 2 = 16?

ANSWER: 12

Solution:
x2 + 6x + y 2 = 16 =⇒ (x + 3)2 + y 2 = 25
So 25 is the sum of two squares. The possible solutions of z 2 + w2 = 25 are:

(0, 5), (0, −5), (5, 0), (−5, 0)


(3, 4), (3, −4), (−3, 4), (−3, −4)
(4, 3), (4, −3), (−4, 3), (−4, −3) .

Each of these solutions leads to a distinct solution of x2 + 6x + y 2 = 16.

18. Recall that if S is a set then |S| denotes the number of elements in S. Now let S =
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. How many different nonempty subsets T of S do not contain |T |? For
example T = {3, 5} is one such subset since |T | = 2 is not in T .

ANSWER: 31

Solution: The number of subsets of size 1 that do not contain 1 is 51 . The number of subsets


of size 2 that do not contain 2 is 52 . The number of subsets of size k that do not contain k


is k5 . So we have


         
5 5 5 5 5
+ + + + = 25 − 1 = 32 − 1 = 31
1 2 3 4 5

19. Find all positive integers n of the form n = p2 q with p and q distinct primes and such that
the sum of the reciprocals of all of the divisors of n is 2.

ANSWER: 28

Solution: The divisors of n are 1, p, p2 , q, pq, pq 2 and we want


1 1 1 1 1 1
1 + p + p2
+ q + pq + p2 q
=2

i.e.

p2 q + pq + q + p2 + p + 1 = 2p2 q
(q + 1)(p2 + p + 1) = 2p2 q.

Note that p2 + p + 1 is odd and must divide p2 q. Hence p2 + p + 1 = p, p2 , pq, p2 q or q. Since


p does not divide p2 + p + 1 then the only possibility is p2 + p + 1 = q. This equation implies
p divides q − 1. But
(q + 1)(p2 + p + 1) = (q + 1)q = 2p2 q
so q + 1 = 2p2 . Hence p divides q + 1. Since p divides both q − 1 and q + 1 then p = 2. Also
q = p2 + p + 1 = 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 and n = 4 · 7 = 28.
20. In Dr. Stecher’s special topics class, 20% of the students are juniors and 80% are seniors. On
a recent test the average score for the entire class was 85 and the average score for the seniors
was 88. What was the average score for the juniors?

ANSWER: 73

Solution: We may assume there are 20 juniors with scores A1 , ..., A20 and 80 seniors with
scores B1 , ..., B80 . We have
B1 + ... + B80
= 88, so B1 + ... + B80 = (88)(80)
80
and
A1 + ... + A20 + B1 + · · · + B80
= 85
100
so

A1 + ... + A20 = (85)(100) − (B1 + ... + B80 ) = 85(100) − 88(80)


A1 + ... + A20 85(100) − 88(80)
=
20 20
(85)(10) − 88(8)
= = 85(5) − 88(4) = 73
2

21. Let f1 be the function defined by f1 (x) = 1 − x1 . Let f2 be defined by f2 (x) = f1 (f1 (x)).
Let f3 be defined by f3 (x) = f1 (f2 (x)). Continue in this fashion to define the sequence of
functions f1 , f2 , ..., fn , .... Find the value of f50 (50).
1
ANSWER: − 49

Solution:
1 49
f1 (50) = 1 − =
50 50
49 50 1
f2 (50) = f1 ( ) = 1 − =−
50 49 49
1 1
f3 (50) = f1 (− ) = 1 − 1 = 50
49 − 49
49
From here on the values repeat: f4 (50) = f1 (50) = 50 etc. So

f50 (50) ∈ { 49 1
50 , − 49 , 50}.

Since 50 = 48 + 2 = 3(16) + 2 then


1
f50 (50) = f2 (50) = − 49 .

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