2003 AIME II Problem 14

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Concepts:coordinate geometryvectorsymmetry

Difficulty rating: 3060

14.

Let A=(0,0)A = (0, 0) and B=(b,2)B = (b, 2) be points on the coordinate plane. Let ABCDEFABCDEF be a convex equilateral hexagon such that FAB=120,\angle FAB = 120^\circ, ABDE,\overline{AB} \parallel \overline{DE}, BCEF,\overline{BC} \parallel \overline{EF}, CDFA,\overline{CD} \parallel \overline{FA}, and the yy-coordinates of its vertices are distinct elements of the set {0,2,4,6,8,10}.\{0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10\}. The area of the hexagon can be written in the form mn,m\sqrt{n}, where mm and nn are positive integers and nn is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Opposite sides are parallel, equal in length, and traversed in opposite directions, so AB=ED,\overrightarrow{AB} = \overrightarrow{ED}, BC=FE,\overrightarrow{BC} = \overrightarrow{FE}, CD=AF:\overrightarrow{CD} = \overrightarrow{AF}: the hexagon is centrally symmetric, and opposite vertices' yy-coordinates share a common sum, namely 0+2++103=10.\frac{0 + 2 + \cdots + 10}{3} = 10. From yA=0y_A = 0 and yB=2y_B = 2 we get yD=10,y_D = 10, yE=8,y_E = 8, and convexity puts yC=6,y_C = 6, yF=4.y_F = 4. Write AB=(b,2),\overrightarrow{AB} = (b, 2), BC=(p,4),\overrightarrow{BC} = (p, 4), CD=(q,4).\overrightarrow{CD} = (q, 4). Equal side lengths give s2=b2+4=p2+16=q2+16,s^2 = b^2 + 4 = p^2 + 16 = q^2 + 16, so p=±q;p = \pm q; since p=qp = q would make B,B, C,C, DD collinear, p=q.p = -q.

Since AF=CD,\overrightarrow{AF} = \overrightarrow{CD}, we have F=(q,4),F = (q, 4), and FAB=120\angle FAB = 120^\circ gives ABAF=bq+8=s22=b2+42.\overrightarrow{AB} \cdot \overrightarrow{AF} = bq + 8 = -\frac{s^2}{2} = -\frac{b^2 + 4}{2}. Taking b>0b \gt 0 forces q<0,q \lt 0, so q=b212,q = -\sqrt{b^2 - 12}, and the equation becomes bb212=b2+202.b\sqrt{b^2 - 12} = \frac{b^2 + 20}{2}. Squaring yields 3b488b2400=0,3b^4 - 88b^2 - 400 = 0, so b2=1003,b^2 = \frac{100}{3}, giving b=103,b = \frac{10}{\sqrt{3}}, q=83,q = -\frac{8}{\sqrt{3}}, p=83.p = \frac{8}{\sqrt{3}}.

The vertices are A=(0,0),A = (0, 0), B=(103,2),B = \left(\frac{10}{\sqrt{3}}, 2\right), C=(63,6),C = (6\sqrt{3}, 6), D=(103,10),D = \left(\frac{10}{\sqrt{3}}, 10\right), E=(0,8),E = (0, 8), F=(83,4).F = \left(-\frac{8}{\sqrt{3}}, 4\right). The hexagon splits into the parallelogram ABDE,ABDE, with vertical side AE=8AE = 8 and horizontal offset bb (area 8b8b), plus the two congruent triangles BCDBCD and EFA,EFA, each with vertical base 88 and horizontal height 83.\frac{8}{\sqrt{3}}. The total area is 8103+212883=1443=483,8 \cdot \frac{10}{\sqrt{3}} + 2 \cdot \frac{1}{2} \cdot 8 \cdot \frac{8}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{144}{\sqrt{3}} = 48\sqrt{3}, so m+n=48+3=51.m + n = 48 + 3 = 51.

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