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2021 AMC 12A Problem 22

Problem 22 of 25HarderAlgebra

Suppose that the roots of the polynomial P(x)=x3+ax2+bx+cP(x) = x^3 + ax^2 + bx + c are cos2π7,\cos\tfrac{2\pi}{7}, cos4π7,\cos\tfrac{4\pi}{7}, and cos6π7,\cos\tfrac{6\pi}{7}, where angles are in radians. What is abc?abc?

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Solution

Let the three roots be r1,r2,r3.r_1,r_2,r_3. The seventh roots of unity give r1+r2+r3=12.r_1+r_2+r_3=-\tfrac12. Doubling the three angles merely permutes their cosines, so ri2=32+12ri=54.\sum r_i^2=\tfrac32+\tfrac12\sum r_i=\tfrac54. Hence r1r2+r1r3+r2r3r_1r_2+r_1r_3+r_2r_3 equals 12((ri)2ri2)=12.\tfrac12((\sum r_i)^2-\sum r_i^2)=-\tfrac12. The product-to-sum identity gives 4r1r2r3=1+r1+r2+r3=12,4r_1r_2r_3=1+r_1+r_2+r_3=\tfrac12, so r1r2r3=18.r_1r_2r_3=\tfrac18. Therefore their monic polynomial is x3+12x212x18=0. x^3 + \tfrac12 x^2 - \tfrac12 x - \tfrac18 = 0. Matching coefficients, a=12,a = \tfrac12, b=12,b = -\tfrac12, c=18.c = -\tfrac18. Therefore abc=12(12)(18)=132.abc = \tfrac12\cdot\left(-\tfrac12\right)\cdot\left(-\tfrac18\right) = \tfrac{1}{32}. Thus, the correct answer is D.

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Concepts: roots of unity · polynomial · Vieta’s Formulas

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