{
  "index": "1973-A-4",
  "type": "ANA",
  "tag": [
    "ANA",
    "ALG"
  ],
  "difficulty": "",
  "question": "A-4. How many zeros does the function \\( f(x)=2^{x}-1-x^{2} \\) have on the real line? [By a \"zero\" of a function \\( f \\), we mean a value \\( x_{0} \\) in the domain of \\( f \\) (here the set of all real numbers) such that \\( \\left.f\\left(x_{0}\\right)=0.\\right] \\)",
  "solution": "A-4. Three; at 0,1 , and some \\( x>1 \\). The first two are clear and the other follows from \\( f(4)<0 \\) and \\( f(5)>0 \\) or from \\( f^{\\prime}(1)<0 \\) while \\( f(x) \\rightarrow+\\infty \\) as \\( x \\rightarrow+\\infty \\). There are no more zeros since four zeros of \\( f \\) would imply a zero of \\( f^{\\prime \\prime \\prime} \\) using an extension of Rolle's Theorem; but \\( f^{\\prime \\prime}(x)=(\\log 2)^{3} 2^{x} \\neq 0 \\) for all \\( x \\).",
  "vars": [
    "f",
    "x",
    "x_0"
  ],
  "params": [],
  "sci_consts": [],
  "variants": {
    "descriptive_long": {
      "map": {
        "f": "function",
        "x": "realvar",
        "x_0": "zeroarg"
      },
      "question": "A-4. How many zeros does the function \\( function(realvar)=2^{realvar}-1-realvar^{2} \\) have on the real line? [By a \"zero\" of a function \\( function \\), we mean a value \\( zeroarg \\) in the domain of \\( function \\) (here the set of all real numbers) such that \\( \\left.function\\left( zeroarg \\right)=0.\\right] \\)",
      "solution": "A-4. Three; at 0,1 , and some \\( realvar>1 \\). The first two are clear and the other follows from \\( function(4)<0 \\) and \\( function(5)>0 \\) or from \\( function^{\\prime}(1)<0 \\) while \\( function(realvar) \\rightarrow+\\infty \\) as \\( realvar \\rightarrow+\\infty \\). There are no more zeros since four zeros of \\( function \\) would imply a zero of \\( function^{\\prime \\prime \\prime} \\) using an extension of Rolle's Theorem; but \\( function^{\\prime \\prime}(realvar)=(\\log 2)^{3} 2^{realvar} \\neq 0 \\) for all \\( realvar \\)."
    },
    "descriptive_long_confusing": {
      "map": {
        "f": "hummingbird",
        "x": "lighthouse",
        "x_0": "sandcastle"
      },
      "question": "A-4. How many zeros does the function \\( hummingbird(lighthouse)=2^{lighthouse}-1-lighthouse^{2} \\) have on the real line? [By a \"zero\" of a function \\( hummingbird \\), we mean a value \\( sandcastle \\) in the domain of \\( hummingbird \\) (here the set of all real numbers) such that \\( \\left.hummingbird\\left(sandcastle\\right)=0.\\right] \\)",
      "solution": "A-4. Three; at 0,1 , and some \\( lighthouse>1 \\). The first two are clear and the other follows from \\( hummingbird(4)<0 \\) and \\( hummingbird(5)>0 \\) or from \\( hummingbird^{\\prime}(1)<0 \\) while \\( hummingbird(lighthouse) \\rightarrow+\\infty \\) as \\( lighthouse \\rightarrow+\\infty \\). There are no more zeros since four zeros of \\( hummingbird \\) would imply a zero of \\( hummingbird^{\\prime \\prime \\prime} \\) using an extension of Rolle's Theorem; but \\( hummingbird^{\\prime \\prime}(lighthouse)=(\\log 2)^{3} 2^{lighthouse} \\neq 0 \\) for all \\( lighthouse \\)."
    },
    "descriptive_long_misleading": {
      "map": {
        "f": "constantmap",
        "x": "fixedpoint",
        "x_0": "movingvalue"
      },
      "question": "A-4. How many zeros does the function \\( constantmap(fixedpoint)=2^{fixedpoint}-1-fixedpoint^{2} \\) have on the real line? [By a \"zero\" of a function \\( constantmap \\), we mean a value \\( movingvalue \\) in the domain of \\( constantmap \\) (here the set of all real numbers) such that \\( \\left.constantmap\\left(movingvalue\\right)=0.\\right] \\)",
      "solution": "A-4. Three; at 0,1 , and some \\( fixedpoint>1 \\). The first two are clear and the other follows from \\( constantmap(4)<0 \\) and \\( constantmap(5)>0 \\) or from \\( constantmap^{\\prime}(1)<0 \\) while \\( constantmap(fixedpoint) \\rightarrow+\\infty \\) as \\( fixedpoint \\rightarrow+\\infty \\). There are no more zeros since four zeros of \\( constantmap \\) would imply a zero of \\( constantmap^{\\prime \\prime \\prime} \\) using an extension of Rolle's Theorem; but \\( constantmap^{\\prime \\prime}(fixedpoint)=(\\log 2)^{3} 2^{fixedpoint} \\neq 0 \\) for all \\( fixedpoint \\)."
    },
    "garbled_string": {
      "map": {
        "f": "qzxwvtnp",
        "x": "hjgrksla",
        "x_0": "nmbvcxzl"
      },
      "question": "A-4. How many zeros does the function \\( qzxwvtnp(hjgrksla)=2^{hjgrksla}-1-hjgrksla^{2} \\) have on the real line? [By a \"zero\" of a function \\( qzxwvtnp \\), we mean a value \\( nmbvcxzl \\) in the domain of \\( qzxwvtnp \\) (here the set of all real numbers) such that \\( \\left.qzxwvtnp\\left(nmbvcxzl\\right)=0.\\right] \\)",
      "solution": "A-4. Three; at 0,1 , and some \\( hjgrksla>1 \\). The first two are clear and the other follows from \\( qzxwvtnp(4)<0 \\) and \\( qzxwvtnp(5)>0 \\) or from \\( qzxwvtnp^{\\prime}(1)<0 \\) while \\( qzxwvtnp(hjgrksla) \\rightarrow+\\infty \\) as \\( hjgrksla \\rightarrow+\\infty \\). There are no more zeros since four zeros of \\( qzxwvtnp \\) would imply a zero of \\( qzxwvtnp^{\\prime \\prime \\prime} \\) using an extension of Rolle's Theorem; but \\( qzxwvtnp^{\\prime \\prime}(hjgrksla)=(\\log 2)^{3} 2^{hjgrksla} \\neq 0 \\) for all \\( hjgrksla \\)."
    },
    "kernel_variant": {
      "question": "Determine the number of real zeros of the function\n\\[\n    g(x)=\\Bigl(\\tfrac{5}{2}\\Bigr)^{x}-1-\\tfrac{3}{2}\\,x^{2}.\n\\]",
      "solution": "1.  Obvious zeros.\n   g(0)=1-1-0=0 and g(1)=\\tfrac52-1-\\tfrac32=0, so x=0 and x=1 are zeros.\n\n2.  A sign change for x>1.\n   Compute g(2)=\\tfrac{5^{2}}{2^{2}}-1-\\tfrac32\\cdot4=6.25-1-6=-0.75<0,\n   whereas g(3)=\\tfrac{5^{3}}{2^{3}}-1-\\tfrac32\\cdot9=15.625-1-13.5=1.125>0.\n   Because g is continuous, the Intermediate Value Theorem produces at least one\n   zero in (2,3).  Thus g has at least three real zeros altogether.\n\n3.  No room for a fourth zero.\n   Suppose, toward a contradiction, that g possessed four distinct real zeros.\n   Applying Rolle’s Theorem successively to consecutive pairs of zeros would\n   yield three distinct points where g', g'' and finally g''' vanish.  Hence\n   there would exist c with g'''(c)=0.\n\n4.  But g''' never vanishes.\n   We have\n   g'''(x)=\\bigl(\\ln\\tfrac52\\bigr)^{3}\\,\\Bigl(\\tfrac52\\Bigr)^{x}>0\\qquad\\text{for every }x\\in\\mathbb R,\n   contradiction.\n\nConsequently a fourth zero cannot exist, so the three already exhibited are\nall the real zeros of g.  Hence the function g(x)=(5/2)^{x}-1-(3/2)x^{2}\npossesses exactly three real zeros.",
      "_meta": {
        "core_steps": [
          "Observe the evident zeros f(0)=0 and f(1)=0.",
          "Find some a>b>1 with f(a)<0 and f(b)>0 (or use f'(1)<0 together with lim_{x→∞}f(x)=∞) and invoke the Intermediate Value Theorem to obtain exactly one additional zero x>1.",
          "Assume, for contradiction, that there are four distinct zeros; apply Rolle’s Theorem successively three times to deduce a point c with f'''(c)=0.",
          "Compute f'''(x)=(ln 2)³·2ˣ>0 for all real x, contradicting the previous step; hence no fourth zero exists."
        ],
        "mutable_slots": {
          "slot1": {
            "description": "Concrete numbers chosen to exhibit the sign change after x=1; any pair with f(•)<0<f(•) works.",
            "original": "4 and 5"
          },
          "slot2": {
            "description": "Whether the sign change is shown with raw function values (IVT) or via the fact that f'(1)<0 followed by eventual growth to +∞.",
            "original": "used both ‘f(4)<0, f(5)>0’ OR ‘f'(1)<0 & f→∞’"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "checked": true,
  "problem_type": "proof"
}