Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 5 / 161 of 400 #761 of 1964

Problem 761

AIME late
Algebra Difficulty 5.2 Find the answer

The solution to the equation x2−2x−3=12⋅[x−12]x^{2}-2 x-3=12 \cdot\left[\frac{x-1}{2}\right] is \qquad

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

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Official solution

8. x=1+27x=1+2 \sqrt{7} or x=1+210x=1+2 \sqrt{10}.

Let x−12=y\frac{x-1}{2}=y, then x2−2x−3=(x−1)2−4=4y2−4x^{2}-2 x-3=(x-1)^{2}-4=4 y^{2}-4, i.e., 4y2−4=12[y]4 y^{2}-4=12[y], which means y2−1=3[y]y^{2}-1=3[y]. Therefore, y2−1=3[y]⩽3yy^{2}-1=3[y] \leqslant 3 y, and y2−1=3[y]>3(y−1)y^{2}-1=3[y]>3(y-1). From y2−1⩽3yy^{2}-1 \leqslant 3 y we get 3−132⩽y⩽3+132\frac{3-\sqrt{13}}{2} \leqslant y \leqslant \frac{3+\sqrt{13}}{2}, and from y2−1>3(y−1)y^{2}-1>3(y-1) we get y>2y>2 or y<1y<1, so 3−132⩽y<1\frac{3-\sqrt{13}}{2} \leqslant y<1 or 2<y⩽3+1322<y \leqslant \frac{3+\sqrt{13}}{2}. Therefore, [y]=−1[y]=-1, or 0, or 2, or 3.

If [y]=−1[y]=-1, then from y2−1=3[y]y^{2}-1=3[y] we get y2=−2y^{2}=-2, which is a contradiction! If [y]=0[y]=0, then from y2−1=3[y]y^{2}-1=3[y] we get y=±1y = \pm 1, which is a contradiction! If [y]=2[y]=2, then y=7y=\sqrt{7}, if [y]=3[y]=3, then y=10y=\sqrt{10}, in summary, y=7y=\sqrt{7} or 10\sqrt{10}.
Therefore, x=1+27x=1+2 \sqrt{7} or x=1+210x=1+2 \sqrt{10}.

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.