AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Chapter 1 代数综合
Algebra

OVERVIEWS

Basic Knowledge

Sequence 数列-等差数列，等比数列，递归数列

Equation 方程-列方程，解方程

Core Concept

Quadratic Function 二次函数-图象和性质，配方法，求根公式，韦达定理，判别式

Inequality 不等式-基本不等式，均值不等式，柯西不等式，二次不等式

Special Products 乘法公式-平方差公式，完全平方公式，立方公式

Advanced Strategy

Simplification 简化问题-逆向思维，简化模型

Polynomial 多项式-二项式定理，高次函数穿根法

Integer Roots of Quadratic Function 二次函数整数根问题

中科数理 Sci & Math 1 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Basic Knowledge: Sequence

1. Arithmetic Sequence/Arithmetic Progression

(1) Definition: An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers such that the difference

between consecutive terms is a constant, and we call this constant the common difference. For

example, the sequence 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, . . . is an arithmetic progression with common

difference of 2.

(2) Recurrence Formula: an = an −1 + d , which describes the nth item of a sequence using a

formula which involves the proceding terms.

(3) General Term: an = a1 + (n − 1)d or in general an = am + (n − m)d

(4) If three terms x, A, y form an arithmetic sequence, the middle term of the series is

x+ y
A= . And the middle term is the arithmetic mean of the terms on each side of it.
2
am − an
(5) The common difference of an arithmetic sequence: d = .
m−n
If d  0 ,the arithmetic sequence is called a decreasing sequence;

If d  0 ,the arithmetic sequence is called an increasing sequence.

(6) The partial sum (sum of the first n terms) of the arithmetic sequence is given by
n(a1 + an ) n(n − 1)d
Sn = = na1 + .
2 2

(7) Property: am + an = a p + aq  m + n = p + q

(8)Property: differences of partial sums S n , S 2n − S n , S3n − S 2 n ,… form a new arithmetic

progression，whose common difference is n2 d .

2. Geometric Sequence/Geometric Progression

(1) Definition: A geometric sequence is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first

is found by multiplying the previous one by a fixed, non-zero number and we call this constant

the common ratio. For example, the sequence 2, 6, 18, 54, ... is a geometric progression with

common ratio 3.

(2) Recurrence Formula: an = an −1  q , which describes the nth item of a sequence using a

formula which involves the proceding terms.

中科数理 Sci & Math 2 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

(3) General Term: an = a1qn−1 or in general an = am qn−m .

(4) If three terms x, G, y form an geometric sequence, the middle term of the series is

G =  xy , where xy is the geometric mean of x and y .

an
(5) The common ratio of a geometric sequence: q = n − m .
am

If 0  q  1(a1  0) , the geometric sequence is called a decreasing sequence;

If q  1(a1  0) , the geometric sequence is called an increasing sequence.

If q  0(a1  0) , all terms are positive.

(6) The partial sum (sum of the first n terms) in the geometric sequence is given by.

na1 ( q = 1)

Sn =  a1 (q n − 1) a (1 − q n ) .
 or 1 ( q  1)
 q −1 1− q

(7) Property: differences of partial sums S n , S 2n − S n , S3n − S 2 n ,… form a new geometric

progression，whose common ratio is q n .

(8) To calculate the sum of all the terms of an infinite geometric sequence, we need to

a1 (1 − q n )
consider Sn = when n gets very large.
1− q

If q  1 , the series is divergent and the sum becomes infinitely large. For example, when

q = 2 , 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + is infinitely large.

If q  1 , as n becomes very large, q n approaches 0, and S n will get closer and closer to

a1
,and we call this the limiting sum of the series.
1− q
a1
The sum of an infinite geometric sequence is equal to if and only if q  1 .
1− q

3. Recurrence Sequence

(1) Definition: a sequence is defined recursively. Once one or more initial terms are given,

each further term of the sequence is defined as a function of the preceding terms.

(2) Fibonacci Sequence: a fundamental recurrence sequence whose first two terms are 1. It is

characterized by the fact that every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding

ones. It can be written as 1,1, 2,3,5,8,13, 21,34,55,89,144,

中科数理 Sci & Math 3 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Examples

1. (2012 AMC10A Question 10) Mary divides a circle into 12 sectors. The central angles of these

sectors, measured in degrees, are all integers and they form an arithmetic sequence. What is the

degree measure of the smallest possible sector angle?

(A) 5 (B) 6 (C) 8 (D) 10 (E) 12

2. (2014 AMC10A Question 10) Five positive consecutive integers starting with a have average

b . What is the average of 5 consecutive integers that start with b ?

(A) a + 3 (B) a + 4 (C) a + 5 (D) a + 6 (E) a + 7

3.(2013 AMC10B Question 13) Jo and Blair take turns counting from 1 to one more than the last

number said by the other person. Jo starts by saying ”1”, so Blair follows by saying ”1, 2”. Jo then

says ”1, 2, 3”, and so on. What is the 53rd number said?

(A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 5 (D) 6 (E) 8

中科数理 Sci & Math 4 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

4. (2016 AMC10B Question 16) The sum of an infinite geometric series is a positive number S ,

and the second term in the series is 1. What is the smallest possible value of S ?

1+ 5
(A) (B) 2 (C) 5 (D) 3 (E) 4
2

5. (2016 AMC10B Question 18) In how many ways can 345 be written as the sum of an increasing

sequence of two or more consecutive positive integers?

(A) 1 (B)3 (C)5 (D)6 (E)7

中科数理 Sci & Math 5 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

6. (2013 AMC10B Question 21) Two non-decreasing sequences of non-negative integers have

different first terms. Each sequence has the property that each term beginning with the third is the

sum of the previous two terms, and the seventh term of each sequence is N . What is the smallest

possible value of N ?

(A) 55 (B) 89 (C) 104 (D 144 (E) 273

7.(2014 AMC10A Question 24) A sequence of natural numbers is constructed by listing the first 4,

then skipping one, listing the next 5, skipping 2, listing 6, skipping 3, and, on the nth iteration,

listing n + 3 and skipping n . The sequence begins 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13. What is the 500,

000th number in the sequence?

(A)996,506 (B)996,507 (C)996,508 (D)996,509 (E)996,510

中科数理 Sci & Math 6 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Basic Knowledge: Equation

General method of solving word problems:

Step 1: Read the problem CAREFULLY! (find equivalent relations)

The first step (also the most important step) to solve word problems is to read carefully.

Step 2: Convert the words to math. (define all the variables and write the equations described by

the problem)

The key to solving word problems is converting the words into the language of mathematics!

1. Assign a variable to be the quantity you seek.

2. Define other variables clearly and use them exactly as you’ve defined them.

3. Then try to build an equation to solve for these variables.

Rate problems

⚫ In distance problems, rate times time equals distance. If you can find two of these three

quantities, you have the other one.

Two objects traveling in the same direction: consider the difference of speed

Two objects traveling in the opposite direction: consider the sum of speed.

⚫ In all, if two objects are moving in a problem, sometimes it’s easier to consider how the

objects are moving relative to each other than to consider the two separately.

⚫ If objects (like a person) are moving in a medium (like a river) that is also moving, we must

take into account how the medium moves when determining the rate the object moves.

⚫ Work problems can be solved by considering the amount of work each worker does per unit

of time.

⚫ A good diagram can be an excellent problem solving tool.

Step 3: Solve the math. (solve the equations)

The key to solving many equations is to get the variable alone on one side of the equation.

⚫ There are often many ways to tackle a problem. When you have multiple paths to a

solution, first try the one that looks most likely to work easily.

⚫ When the variable in a linear equation has a coefficient besides 1, we can multiply both

sides of the equation by the reciprocal of the variable’s coefficient to help isolate the

中科数理 Sci & Math 7 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

variable.

⚫ When solving an equation that isn’t exactly like an equation you have solved before, try to

manipulate it into a form you already know how to deal with.

⚫ If you don’t like dealing with fractions, eliminate them from a linear equation by

multiplying both sides of the equation by the least common denominator of the fractions in

the equation.

⚫ Substitution and elimination are good ways to solve multi-variable linear equations.

Step 4: Convert your answer back to words.

Step 5: Check your answer. (make sure your solution fits the problem)

Check the units! Make all the units in our equations the same!

We can check our answer by substituting it back into the original equation. If the original

equation is not satisfied by our answer, then we made a mistake.

Examples

8. (2012 AMC10B Question 13) It takes Clea 60 seconds to walk down an escalator when it is not

operating and only 24 seconds to walk down the escalator when it is operating. How many seconds

does it take Clea to ride down the operating escalator when she just stands on it?

(A) 36 (B) 40 (C) 42 (D) 48 (E) 52

中科数理 Sci & Math 8 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

x
9. (2015 AMC10A Question 15) Consider the set of all fractions , where x and y are
y

relatively prime positive integers. How many of these fractions have the property that if both

numerator and denominator are increased by 1, the value of the fraction is increased by 10%?

(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) infinitely many

10. (2014 AMC10A Question 15) David drives from his home to the airport to catch a flight. He

drives 35 miles in the first hour, but realizes that he will be 1 hour late if he continues at this

speed. He increases his speed by 15 miles per hour for the rest of the way to the airport and arrives

30 minutes early. How many miles is the airport from his home?

(A) 140 (B) 175 (C) 210 (D) 245 (E) 280

中科数理 Sci & Math 9 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

11. (2015 AMC10B Question 15) The town of Hamlet has 3 people for each horse, 4 sheep for

each cow, and 3 ducks for each person. Which of the following could not possibly be the total

number of people, horses, sheep, cows, and ducks in Hamlet?

(A) 41 (B) 47 (C) 59 (D) 61 (E) 66

12. (2013 AMC10B Question 17) Alex has 75 red tokens and 75 blue tokens. There is a booth where

Alex can give two red tokens and receive in return a silver token and a blue token, and another booth

where Alex can give three blue tokens and receive in return a silver token and a red token. Alex

continues to exchange tokens until no more exchanges are possible. How many silver tokens will

Alex have at the end?

(A) 62 (B) 82 (C) 83 (D 102 (E) 103

中科数理 Sci & Math 10 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

13. (2012 AMC10A Question 19) Paula the painter and her two helpers each paint at constant, but

different, rates. They always start at 8:00 AM, and all three always take the same amount of time to eat

lunch. On Monday the three of them painted 50% of a house, quitting at 4:00 PM. On Tuesday,

when Paula wasn’t there, the two helpers painted only 24% of the house and quit at 2:12 PM. On

Wednesday Paula worked by herself and finished the house by working until 7:12 PM. How long, in

minutes, was each day’s lunch break?

(A) 30 (B) 36 (C) 42 (D) 48 (E) 60

Core Concept: Quadratic Function

1. Definition: Quadratic functions are polynomials in which the largest exponent is 2.

2. The graph is always a parabola.

3. Unless specially limited, the domain of a quadratic function is all real numbers, i.e.  x  R ,

and the range is { y  R | y  the minimum value of the function} (or

{ y  R | y  the maximum value of the function} )

4. The general form of the function is y = ax2 + bx + c , where a  0 .

(1)If a  0 , the parabola opens up and has a minimum value.

(2)If a  0 , the parabola opens down and has a maximum value.

5. Solve the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 by completing the square.

b
The x-coordinate of the vertex of the parabola is equal to − .
2a
b
The axis of symmetry is the vertical line with equation x = − .
2a

中科数理 Sci & Math 11 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

 b b2 
The coordinates of the vertex are  − , c −  .
 2a 4a 

b2
The minimum(maximum) value of the function is c − .
4a

−b  b2 − 4ac
6. The solutions are the general quadratic formula x = .
2a

7. Write the function y = f ( x) = ax2 + bx + c = a( x − x1 )( x − x2 ) . x1 and x2 are two zeros of the

function, where the graph cross the x -axis and f ( x1 ) = f ( x2 ) = 0 . They are the two roots of

the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 .

b c
8. Vieta’s theorem: the sum of the zeros x1 + x2 = − , and the product of the zeros x1 x2 = .
a a
9. Properties of zeros: The quantity  = b2 − 4ac is called the discriminant of a quadratic

equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 .

Its sign determines whether the roots are real or imaginary.

(i) If  = b2 − 4ac  0 , x1  x2 are two different real roots of equation, and the

graph of the function intersect x -axis at two points.

b
(ii) If  = b2 − 4ac = 0 , x1 = x2 = − , and the graph of the function is tangent to
a
the x -axis;

(iii) If  = b2 − 4ac  0 , then x1 and x2 are two complex numbers, and the

graph of the function does not intersect the x -axis.

中科数理 Sci & Math 12 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Examples

14. (2015 AMC10A Question 12) Points (  , a )and (  ,b ) are distinct points on the graph of

y 2 + x4 = 2x2 y + 1 . What is a − b ?


(A) 1 (B) (C) 2 (D) 1+  (E) 1+ 
2

15. (2015 AMC10B Question 14) Let a, b, and c be three distinct one-digit numbers. What is

the maximum value of the sum of the roots of the equation ( x − a)( x − b) + ( x − b)( x − c) = 0 ?

(A) 15 (B) 15.5 (C) 16 (D) 16.5 (E) 17

中科数理 Sci & Math 13 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

16. (2013 AMC10B Question 19) The real numbers c, b, a, form an arithmetic sequence with

a  b  c  0 . The quadratic ax 2 + bx + c has exactly one root. What is this root?

(A) −7 − 4 3 (B) −2 − 3 (C) −1 (D) −2 + 3 (E) −7 + 4 3

Core Concept: Inequality

1. Basic Inequalities

(1)When both sides of the inequality are multiplied or divided by a negative number, the sign

of inequality changes.

(2) For any two real numbers a ,b, a 2  0 ( a 2 = 0 when a = 0 ), (a − b)2  0 ( (a − b)2 = 0

when a = b ), (a + b)2  0 ( (a + b)2 = 0 when a = −b ).

(3)Generalization: For any two real numbers a ,b, a2 + b2  2ab ( a2 + b2 = 2ab when

a 2 + b2  a + b  a 2 + b2  a + b 
2 2

a = b ),   ( =  when a = b ).
2  2  2  2 

(4) Intermediate value theorem: Given any algebraic expression, for some values of x,

f ( x) , =, or  0 .If f ( x ) is continuous on [a, b] , f (a) f (b)  0 , a zero x must lie on

( a, b) . i.e. x  (a, b) , f ( x) = 0 .

2. AM-GM Inequality (Arithmetic Mean-Geometric Mean Inequality)

中科数理 Sci & Math 14 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

a+b a+b
(1)AM-GM Inequality: For any two positive number a ,b,  ab . ( = ab
2 2
when a = b )

(2)Generalization: AM-GM inequality can be generalized to n numbers

x1 + x2 + + xn
 n x1 x2 xn
n
(3) Inequality of means: H n  Gn  An  Qn

n
H n stands for harmonic mean, H n = ;
1 1 1
+ + +
x1 x2 xn

Gn stands for geometric mean, Gn = n x1 x2 xn ;

x1 + x2 + + xn
An stands for arithmetic mean, An = ;
n

x12 + x22 + + xn2

Qn stands for quadratic mean, Qn = ;
n

3. Cauchy Inequality: For any four numbers a, b, c, d , (a2 + b2 )(c2 + d 2 )  (ac + bd )2

( (a2 + b2 )(c2 + d 2 ) = (ac + bd )2 when ad = bc )

4. Quadratic Inequalities ax2 + bx + c  0 and ax2 + bx + c  0,(a  0) ,

(1) b2 − 4ac  0 , the solution set of ax2 + bx + c  0 is all real number, and the solution set of

ax2 + bx + c  0 is empty set.

b
(2) b2 − 4ac = 0 , the solution set of ax2 + bx + c  0 is {x : x  − } , and the solution set of
2a
ax2 + bx + c  0 is empty set.

(3) b2 − 4ac  0 , the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 has two different root x1  x2 , the solution

set of ax2 + bx + c  0 is {x : x  x1 or x  x2 } , the solution set of ax2 + bx + c  0 is

{x : x1  x  x2 } .

中科数理 Sci & Math 15 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Examples
17. (2014 AMC10A Question 7) Nonzero real numbers x , y , a ,and b satisfy x  a and y  b .

How many of the following inequalities must be true?

(I) x + y  a + b

(II) x − y  a − b

(III) xy  ab
x a
(IV) 
y b

(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 4

18. (2016 AMC10B Question 17) All the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 are assigned to the six faces of a

cube, one number to each face. For each of the eight vertices of the cube, a product of three

numbers is computed, where the three numbers are the numbers assigned to the three faces that

include that vertex. What is the greatest possible value of the sum of these eight products?

(A) 312 (B) 343 (C) 625 (D) 729 (E) 1680

中科数理 Sci & Math 16 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Core Concept: Special Products

1.Square of a sum: (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 ;

Square of a difference: (a − b)2 = a2 − 2ab + b2 ;

Difference of two squares: a2 − b2 = (a + b)(a − b) .

2.Cube of a sum: (a + b)3 = a3 + 3a2b + 3ab2 + b3 ;

Cube of a difference: (a − b)3 = a3 − 3a2b + 3ab2 − b3 ;

Difference of two cubes: a3 − b3 = (a − b)(a2 + ab + b2 ) ;

Sum of two cubes: a3 + b3 = (a + b)(a2 − ab + b2 ) .

Examples

19. (2015 AMC10A Question 16) If y + 4 = ( x − 2)2 , x + 4 = ( y − 2)2 , and x  y , what is the value

of x2 + y 2 ?

(A)10 (B) 15 (C) 20 (D) 25 (E) 30

中科数理 Sci & Math 17 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

20. (2014 AMC10B Question 17) What is the greatest power of 2 that is a factor of 101002 − 4501 ?

(A) 21002 (B) 21003 (C) 21004 (D) 21005 (E) 21006

21. (2012 AMC10A Question 17) Let a and b be relatively prime integers with a  b  0 and

a 3 − b3 73
= What is a − b ?
( a − b)
3
3

(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) 5

中科数理 Sci & Math 18 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

22. (2015 AMC10A Question 24 ) For some positive integers p , there is a quadrilateral ABCD

with positive integer side lengths, perimeter p , right angles at B and C , AB = 2 , and CD = AD .

How many different values of p < 2015 are possible?

(A)30 (B)31 (C)61 (D)62 (E)63

Advanced Strategy: Simplification

⚫ Reversed Thinking
⚫ Simplify the problem

Examples
23. (2016 AMC10A Question 8) Trickster Rabbit agrees with Foolish Fox to double Fox’s money
every time Fox crosses the bridge by Rabbit’s house, as long as Fox pays 40 coins in toll to Rabbit
after each crossing. The payment is made after the doubling, Fox is excited about his good fortune
until he discovers that all his money is gone after crossing the bridge three times. How many coins
did Fox have at the beginning?
(A) 20 (B) 30 (C) 35 (D) 40 (E) 45

中科数理 Sci & Math 19 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

24. (2012 AMC10B Question 20) Bernado and Silvia play the following game. An integer

between 0 and 999, inclusive, is selected and given to Bernado. Whenever Bernado receives a

number, he doubles it and passes the result to Silvia. Whenever Silvia receives a number, she

adds 50 to it and passes the result to Bernado. The winner is the last person who produces a

number less than 1000. Let N be the smallest initial number that results in a win for Bernado.

What is the sum of the digits of N ?

(A) 7 (B) 8 (C) 9 (D) 10 (E) 11

25. (2014 AMC10A Question 25) The number 5867 is between 22013 and 22014 . How many pairs

of integers (m, n) are there such that 1 ≤ m ≤ 2012 and 5n  2m  2m+ 2  5n +1 ?

(A)278 (B)279 (C)280 (D)281 (E)282

中科数理 Sci & Math 20 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Advanced Strategy: Polynomial

1. Definition: a polynomial is an expression consisting of variables (also called indeterminates)

and coefficients, that involves only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and

non-negative integer exponents of variables. An example of a polynomial of a single

indeterminate x is x 2 − 4 x + 7 . An example in three variables is x3 + 2xyz 2 − yz + 1 .

2. Binomial Theorem: it is possible to expand any power of x + y into a sum of the form

 n  n  n n n(n − 1) (n − k + 1)
( x + y )n =   x n y 0 +   x n −1 y1 + +   x0 y n , where   stands for .
 0 1  n k  k!

n
n
Using summation notation, it can be written as ( x + y )n =   x k y n − k .The k+1th term of the
k =0  k 

n
expansion is   x k y n − k .
k 

3. Solving inequalities of higher order:

Step 1: Turn the coefficient of the highest order variable to positive.

Step 2: Factorize f ( x ) into the product of several indivisible factors.

Step 3: Mark all roots on x-axis, and then sketch the curve from the right-top side.

Step 4: Figure out the solution set in terms of the sign of the function.

4. Vieta’s Formulas: Any general polynomial of degree n P( x) = an xn + an−1 xn−1 + + a1 x + a0

has n complex roots x1 , x2 , , xn .Vieta’s formulas relate the polynomial’s coefficients a k to

signed sums and products of its roots xi as follows:

 an −1
 x1 + x2 + + xn −1 + xn = −
an

 an − 2
( x1 x2 + x1 x3 + + x1 xn ) + ( x2 x3 + x2 x4 + + x2 xn ) + + xn −1 xn =
 an


 a0
 x1 x2 xn = (−1) n
 an

中科数理 Sci & Math 21 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Examples
26. (2017 AMC10A Question 24) For certain real numbers a, b, and c, the polynomial

g ( x ) = x3 + ax2 + x + 10 has three distinct roots, and each root of g ( x ) is also a root of the

polynomial f ( x ) = x4 + x3 + bx2 + 100 x + c . What is f (1) ?

(A)-9009 (B)-8008 (C)-7007 (D)-6006 (E)-5005

27. (2012 AMC10A Question 24) Let a, b, and c, be positive integers with a  b  c such that

a 2 − b2 − c 2 + ab = 2011 and a 2 + 3b2 + 3c2 − 3ab − 2ac − 2bc = −1997 .What is a ?

(A)249 (B)250 (C)251 (D)252 (E)253

中科数理 Sci & Math 22 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

Advanced Strategy: Integer Roots of Quadratic Function

If a quadratic function has integer roots, it must meet the following conditions:

(1)The discriminant  = b2 − 4ac should be a perfect square.

(2) −b + b2 − 4ac = 2ak or −b − b2 − 4ac = 2ak ，where k is an integer.

Examples
28. (2015 AMC10A Question 20) A rectangle has area A cm2 and perimeter P cm2 , where A

and P are positive integers. Which of the following numbers cannot equal A + P ?

(A)100 (B)102 (C)104 (D)106 (E)108

中科数理 Sci & Math 23 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

29. (2014 AMC10B Question 20) For how many integers is the number x4 − 51x2 + 50 negative?

(A) 8 (B) 10 (C) 12 (D) 14 (E) 16

30. (2012 AMC10A Question 22) The sum of the first m positive odd integers is 212 more than the

sum of the first n positive even integers. What is the sum of all possible values of n ?

(A) 255 (B) 256 (C) 257 (D) 258 (E) 259

中科数理 Sci & Math 24 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）

 AMC 10 学生版讲义 Chapter 1 Algebra 代数综合

31. (2015 AMC10A Question 23) The zeroes of the function f ( x) = x2 − ax + 2a are integers.

What is the sum of all possible values of a ?

(A)7 (B) 8 (C) 16 (D) 17 (E) 18

中科数理 Sci & Math 25 刘嘉诚老师 （微信: jiachengmath）