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# Equations with number of variables | AIME I, 2009 | Question 14

Try this beautiful problem from the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, AIME, 2009 based on Equations with a number of variables.

Try this beautiful problem from the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, AIME, 2009 based on Equations with a number of variables.

## Equations with number of variables – AIME 2009

For t=1,2,3,4, define $S^{t}=a^{t}_1+a^{t}_2+…+a^{t}_{350}$, where $a_{i}\in${1,2,3,4}. If $S_{1}=513, S_{4}=4745$, find the minimum possible value for $S_{2}$.

• is 905
• is 250
• is 840
• cannot be determined from the given information

### Key Concepts

Series

Theory of Equations

Number Theory

## Check the Answer

Answer: is 905.

AIME, 2009, Question 14

Polynomials by Barbeau

## Try with Hints

j=1,2,3,4, let $m_{j}$ number of $a_{i}$ s = j then $m_{1}+m{2}+m{3}+m{4}=350$, $S_{1}=m_{1}+2m_{2}+3m_{3}+4m_{4}=513$ $S_{4}=m_{1}+2^{4}m_{2}+3^{4}m_{3}+4^{4}m_{4}=4745$

Subtracting first from second, then first from third yields $m_{2}+2m_{3}+3m_{4}=163,$ and $15m_{2}+80m_{3}+255m_{4}=4395$ Now subtracting 15 times first from second gives $50m_{3}+210m_{4}=1950$ or $5m_{3}+21m_{4}=195$ Then $m_{4}$ multiple of 5, $m_{4}$ either 0 or 5

If $m_{4}=0$ then $m_{j}$ s (226,85,39,0) and if $m_{4}$=5 then $m_{j}$ s (215,112,18,5) Then $S_{2}=1^{2}(226)+2^{2}(85)+3^{2}(39)+4^{2}(0)=917$ and $S_{2}=1^{2}(215)+2^{2}(112)+3^{2}(18)+4^{2}(5)=905$ Then min 905.