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2013 AMC 12B Problem 22

Problem 22 of 25HarderAlgebraNumber Theory

Let m>1m \gt 1 and n>1n \gt 1 be integers. Suppose that the product of the solutions for xx of the equation 8(lognx)(logmx)7lognx6logmx2013=0 \begin{aligned} &8(\log_n x)(\log_m x) - 7\log_n x \\ &\quad {}- 6\log_m x - 2013 = 0 \end{aligned} is the smallest possible integer. What is m+n?m + n?

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Solution

Writing lognx=logxlogn\log_n x = \tfrac{\log x}{\log n} and logmx=logxlogm,\log_m x = \tfrac{\log x}{\log m}, the equation becomes a quadratic in logx\log x whose roots sum to log(x1x2)\log(x_1 x_2) =18(7logm+6logn).= \tfrac18(7\log m + 6\log n). Hence N8=m7n6,N^8=m^7n^6, where N=x1x2.N=x_1x_2. For each prime dividing mn,mn, let its exponents in m,nm,n be a,b.a,b. Then 7a+6b0(mod8).7a+6b\equiv0\pmod8. An odd aa is impossible. If a=0,a=0, then bb is a multiple of 44 and this prime contributes at least p3,p^3, but some other prime must divide m.m. If a0(mod8)a\equiv0\pmod8 is positive, its contribution to NN is at least p7;p^7; if a2(mod8),a\equiv2\pmod8, then b3(mod4)b\equiv3\pmod4 and the least contribution is p4.p^4. Every other positive even aa gives more. Thus the minimum uses only p=2p=2 with (a,b)=(2,3),(a,b)=(2,3), giving N=16,N=16, m=4,m=4, and n=8.n=8. So m+n=12.m+n=12. Thus, the correct answer is A.

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Concepts: logarithm · Vieta’s Formulas · modular arithmetic

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.