2004 AIME I Problem 8

Attempt Problem 8 of the 2004 AIME I 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 2004 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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8.

Define a regular nn-pointed star to be the union of nn line segments P1P2,\overline{P_1 P_2}, P2P3,\overline{P_2 P_3}, ,\ldots, PnP1\overline{P_n P_1} such that

• the points P1,P_1, P2,P_2, ,\ldots, PnP_n are coplanar and no three of them are collinear,

• each of the nn line segments intersects at least one of the other line segments at a point other than an endpoint,

• all of the angles at P1,P_1, P2,P_2, ,\ldots, PnP_n are congruent,

• all of the nn line segments P1P2,\overline{P_1 P_2}, P2P3,\overline{P_2 P_3}, ,\ldots, PnP1\overline{P_n P_1} are congruent, and

• the path P1P2PnP1P_1 P_2 \ldots P_n P_1 turns counterclockwise at an angle of less than 180180^\circ at each vertex.

There are no regular 33-pointed, 44-pointed, or 66-pointed stars. All regular 55-pointed stars are similar, but there are two non-similar regular 77-pointed stars. How many non-similar regular 10001000-pointed stars are there?

Answer: 199
Concepts:Euler’s Totient Functionregular polygonpairing and grouping
Difficulty rating: 2710
Small Hint:

A regular nn-pointed star joins every ddth of nn equally spaced points on a circle, where dd is relatively prime to nn

Big Hint:

Exclude d=1d = 1 and d=n1,d = n - 1, which give a convex polygon, and note that dd and ndn - d trace similar stars

Solution:

The congruent angles and congruent segments force the vertices of a regular star to be equally spaced on a circle, visited by taking a constant step: number nn equally spaced points 0,1,,n10, 1, \ldots, n - 1 and connect every ddth point. The path visits all nn points exactly when gcd(d,n)=1,\gcd(d, n) = 1, and the segments actually cross (making a star rather than a convex polygon) exactly when 2dn2.2 \le d \le n - 2. Steps dd and ndn - d trace the same figure in opposite directions, while different values otherwise give non-similar stars, since a dilation matching the circles would have to match the turning angles.

For n=1000=2353,n = 1000 = 2^3 \cdot 5^3, the number of dd with gcd(d,1000)=1\gcd(d, 1000) = 1 is 1000(112)(115)=400.1000\left(1 - \frac{1}{2}\right)\left(1 - \frac{1}{5}\right) = 400. Removing d=1d = 1 and d=999d = 999 leaves 398398 values, which pair up as {d,1000d},\{d, 1000 - d\}, so the number of non-similar regular 10001000-pointed stars is 3982=199.\frac{398}{2} = 199.

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