1999 AIME Problem 8

Attempt Problem 8 of the 1999 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 1999 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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8.

Let TT be the set of ordered triples (x,y,z)(x, y, z) of nonnegative real numbers that lie in the plane x+y+z=1.x + y + z = 1. Let us say that (x,y,z)(x, y, z) supports (a,b,c)(a, b, c) when exactly two of the following are true: xa,x \ge a, yb,y \ge b, zc.z \ge c. Let SS consist of those triples in TT that support (12,13,16).\left(\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{3}, \frac{1}{6}\right). The area of SS divided by the area of TT is mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 25
Concepts:area ratiosimilaritycasework
Difficulty rating: 2450
Small Hint:

TT is a triangle, and each condition like x12x \ge \frac{1}{2} cuts off a corner with a line parallel to a side

Big Hint:

Since 12+13+16=1,\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{6} = 1, all three inequalities hold only at one boundary point; apart from that point, each two-inequality region is a triangle similar to TT

Solution:

TT is the triangle with vertices (1,0,0),(1,0,0), (0,1,0),(0,1,0), (0,0,1).(0,0,1). Because 12+13+16=1=x+y+z,\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{6} = 1 = x + y + z, whenever two of the inequalities x12,x \ge \frac{1}{2}, y13,y \ge \frac{1}{3}, z16z \ge \frac{1}{6} hold, the third can hold only at a boundary point of zero area. So SS is, up to measure zero, the union of the three regions where a specific pair of inequalities holds.

The region with x12x \ge \frac{1}{2} and y13y \ge \frac{1}{3} becomes, after substituting x=12+xx = \frac{1}{2} + x' and y=13+y,y = \frac{1}{3} + y', a copy of TT with coordinate sum 11213=16,1 - \frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{3} = \frac{1}{6}, i.e. a triangle similar to TT with ratio 16\frac{1}{6} and area (16)2\left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^2 of T.T. Likewise the pairs {x,z}\{x, z\} and {y,z}\{y, z\} give similar triangles with ratios 13\frac{1}{3} and 12.\frac{1}{2}.

The ratio of areas is 136+19+14=1+4+936=718, \begin{aligned} &\frac{1}{36} + \frac{1}{9} + \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1 + 4 + 9}{36} \\ &= \frac{7}{18}, \end{aligned} so m+n=7+18=25.m + n = 7 + 18 = 25.

Problem 7#7
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