Competition Mathematics

AMC 12 Master Problem Set

20 Problems  ·  All Major Topics  ·  Exam-Style  ·  Verified Solutions
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0 / 20 answered
Core Concepts & Formulas
ALGEBRA

Vieta's Formulas

For \(ax^2+bx+c=0\) with roots \(r,s\):

\(r+s=-\tfrac{b}{a},\quad rs=\tfrac{c}{a}\)
ALGEBRA

AM–GM Inequality

For positive reals \(a_1,\ldots,a_n\):

\(\dfrac{a_1+\cdots+a_n}{n}\ge\sqrt[n]{a_1\cdots a_n}\)
NUMBER THEORY

Units Digit Cycles

Powers of 7 cycle: 7, 9, 3, 1 (period 4). Use \(n\bmod 4\) to find units digit of \(7^n\).

COMBINATORICS

Stars & Bars

Non-neg. integer solutions to \(x_1+\cdots+x_k=n\):

\(\dbinom{n+k-1}{k-1}\)
GEOMETRY

Chord–Distance

If chord has length \(2\ell\) in circle of radius \(r\), distance to center:

\(d=\sqrt{r^2-\ell^2}\)
TRIGONOMETRY

Law of Cosines

\(c^2=a^2+b^2-2ab\cos C\)
LOGARITHMS

Change of Base

\(\log_b a=\dfrac{\log a}{\log b}\)
SEQUENCES

Geometric Series

\(S_\infty=\dfrac{a}{1-r},\quad|r|<1\)
COMPLEX NUMBERS

Modulus of Powers

For \(z=a+bi\): \(|z^n|=|z|^n\)

\(|a+bi|=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}\)
PROBABILITY

Conditional Probability

\(P(A|B)=\dfrac{P(A\cap B)}{P(B)}\)
Worked Examples
EXAMPLE · ALGEBRA
If \(x+y=5\) and \(xy=6\), find \(x^2+y^2\).
Solution: \(x^2+y^2=(x+y)^2-2xy=25-12=\mathbf{13}\).
EXAMPLE · GEOMETRY
A right triangle has legs 3 and 4. Find the altitude to the hypotenuse.
Solution: \(c=5\). Area \(=6\). Also \(\tfrac{1}{2}(5)h=6\), so \(h=\tfrac{12}{5}\).
EXAMPLE · COMBINATORICS
How many 3-digit integers have digits summing to 5?
Solution: Let \(a'=a-1\): \(a'+b+c=4\) with \(a',b,c\ge0\). Answer: \(\binom{6}{2}=15\).
Practice Problems
FINAL SCORE
out of 20 problems
Answer Key & Full Solutions