2009 AIME I Problem 11

Attempt Problem 11 of the 2009 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 2009 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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11.

Consider the set of all triangles OPQOPQ where OO is the origin and PP and QQ are distinct points in the plane with nonnegative integer coordinates (x,y)(x, y) such that 41x+y=2009.41x + y = 2009. Find the number of such distinct triangles whose area is a positive integer.

Answer: 600
Concepts:lattice pointshoelace formulaparity
Difficulty rating: 2840
Solution:

The points on the line with nonnegative integer coordinates are Pi=(i,200941i)P_i = (i,\, 2009 - 41i) for i=0,1,,49i = 0, 1, \ldots, 49 — fifty points in all. For P=PiP = P_i and Q=Pj,Q = P_j, the shoelace formula gives [OPQ]=12i(200941j)j(200941i)=20092ij. \begin{aligned} [OPQ] &= \small \frac{1}{2}\left|\,i(2009 - 41j) - j(2009 - 41i)\,\right| \\ &= \frac{2009}{2}\,|i - j|. \end{aligned}

This is automatically positive for distinct points, and since 20092009 is odd, it is an integer exactly when iji - j is even, that is, when ii and jj have the same parity. There are 2525 even and 2525 odd indices, so the number of triangles is (252)+(252)=300+300=600.\binom{25}{2} + \binom{25}{2} = 300 + 300 = 600.

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