1997 AIME Problem 6

Attempt Problem 6 of the 1997 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1997 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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6.

Point BB is in the exterior of the regular nn-sided polygon A1A2An,A_1A_2\cdots A_n, and A1A2BA_1A_2B is an equilateral triangle. What is the largest value of nn for which An,A_n, A1,A_1, and BB are consecutive vertices of a regular polygon?

Answer: 42
Concepts:regular polygonangle sumdivisibility
Difficulty rating: 2300
Solution:

Since BB is outside the nn-gon, the angles at A1A_1 — the interior angle AnA1A2=(n2)180n,\angle A_nA_1A_2 = \frac{(n-2)180^\circ}{n}, the equilateral angle A2A1B=60,\angle A_2A_1B = 60^\circ, and BA1An\angle BA_1A_n — fill a full revolution, so BA1An=300(n2)180n=120+360n. \begin{aligned} \angle BA_1A_n &= 300^\circ - \frac{(n-2)180^\circ}{n} \\ &= 120^\circ + \frac{360^\circ}{n}. \end{aligned} Also AnA1=A1B,A_nA_1 = A_1B, since both equal the side of the nn-gon.

For An,A_n, A1,A_1, BB to be consecutive vertices of a regular mm-gon, this angle must be the mm-gon's interior angle: 120+360n=180360m,120^\circ + \frac{360^\circ}{n} = 180^\circ - \frac{360^\circ}{m}, which simplifies to 1m=161n,\frac{1}{m} = \frac{1}{6} - \frac{1}{n}, so m=6nn6=6+36n6.m = \frac{6n}{n - 6} = 6 + \frac{36}{n - 6}.

Thus n6n - 6 must divide 36,36, and the largest choice is n6=36,n - 6 = 36, i.e. n=42n = 42 (with m=7m = 7).

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