My 16th Birthday Problem

Geometry Level 3

If f ( x ) = sec ( arctan ( x ) ) f(x) = \sec(\arctan(x)) , find the value of f ( f ( f ( f ( . . . ( f ( 1 ) ) ) ) ) ) f(f(f(f(...(f(1)))))) , where the function is iterated 2015 times.

If you get your answer as a b a \sqrt b , where a a and b b are positive integers with b b square-free, submit a + b a+b .


The answer is 26.

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1 solution

Manuel Kahayon
Apr 29, 2016

s e c 2 ( x ) = t a n 2 ( x ) + 1 sec^2(x) = tan^2(x)+1 , s e c ( x ) = t a n 2 ( x ) + 1 sec (x) = \sqrt{tan^2(x)+1}

Let a = t a n ( x ) a = tan (x) , then a r c t a n ( a ) = x arctan(a)=x , s e c ( x ) = s e c ( a r c t a n ( a ) ) sec (x) = sec (arctan(a)) , s e c ( a r c t a n ( a ) ) = f ( a ) = t a n 2 ( x ) + 1 = a 2 + 1 sec (arctan(a)) = f(a) = \sqrt{tan^2(x)+1} = \sqrt{a^2+1}

So, f ( a ) = a 2 + 1 f(a) = \sqrt{a^2+1} , f ( f ( a ) ) = a 2 + 2 f(f(a)) = \sqrt{a^2+2} . By repeatedly applying this, we get that f ( f ( f ( . . . a ) ) ) = a 2 + n f(f(f(...a))) = \sqrt{a^2+n} where the function is iterated n n times.

So, our answer is 1 + 2015 = 2016 = 12 14 \sqrt{1+2015} = \sqrt{2016} = 12 \sqrt{14}

So, our answer is 12 + 14 = 26 12+14 = \boxed{26}

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