AoPSWiki
Looking for a challenging geometry text? Preparing for MATHCOUNTS or the AMC exams? Check out Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Geometry by Richard Rusczyk.
Personal tools

2005 AIME II Problems/Problem 3

From AoPSWiki

Problem

An infinite geometric series has sum 2005. A new series, obtained by squaring each term of the original series, has 10 times the sum of the original series. The common ratio of the original series is \frac mn where m and n are relatively prime integers. Find m+n.

Solution

Let's call the first term of the original geometric series a and the common ratio r, so 2005 = a + ar + ar^2 + \ldots. Using the sum formula for infinite geometric series, we have (*)\;\;\frac a{1 -r} = 2005. Then we form a new series, a^2 + a^2 r^2 + a^2 r^4 + \ldots. We know this series has sum 20050 = \frac{a^2}{1 - r^2}. Dividing this equation by (*), we get 10 = \frac a{1 + r}. Then a = 2005 - 2005r and a = 10 + 10r so 2005 - 2005r = 10 + 10r, 1995 = 2015r and finally r = \frac{1995}{2015} = \frac{399}{403}, so the answer is 399 + 403 = \boxed{802}.

(We know this last fraction is fully reduced by the Euclidean algorithm -- because 4 = 403 - 399, \gcd(403, 399) | 4. But 403 is odd, so \gcd(403, 399) = 1.)

See also

2005 AIME II (ProblemsResources)
Preceded by
Problem 2
Followed by
Problem 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Add a glimpse of the Art of Problem Solving Forum to your own site!
Click here for details!
© Copyright 2008 AoPS Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. • FoundationPrivacyContact Us