2010 AIME I Problem 8

Attempt Problem 8 of the 2010 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 2010 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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8.

For a real number a,a, let a\lfloor a \rfloor denote the greatest integer less than or equal to a.a. Let R\mathcal{R} denote the region in the coordinate plane consisting of points (x,y)(x, y) such that x2+y2=25.\lfloor x \rfloor^2 + \lfloor y \rfloor^2 = 25. The region R\mathcal{R} is completely contained in a disk of radius rr (a disk is the union of a circle and its interior). The minimum value of rr can be written as mn,\frac{\sqrt{m}}{n}, where mm and nn are integers and mm is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 132
Concepts:floor and ceiling functionslattice pointdistance formulasymmetry
Difficulty rating: 2840
Solution:

Since x\lfloor x \rfloor and y\lfloor y \rfloor are integers whose squares sum to 25,25, the pair (x,y)(\lfloor x \rfloor, \lfloor y \rfloor) is one of the 1212 pairs (±5,0),(\pm 5, 0), (0,±5),(0, \pm 5), (±3,±4),(\pm 3, \pm 4), (±4,±3).(\pm 4, \pm 3). So R\mathcal{R} is the union of the 1212 unit squares whose lower-left corners are these points.

Let KK be the closure of R.\mathcal{R}. Any closed disk containing R\mathcal{R} also contains K,K, so the two sets have the same minimum enclosing radius. The map (x,y)(1x,1y)(x, y) \mapsto (1 - x, 1 - y) permutes the closed unit squares in K,K, so KK is symmetric under 180180^\circ rotation about Q=(12,12).Q = \left(\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{2}\right). If XK,X \in K, its opposite point X=2QXX' = 2Q-X also lies in K.K. Every disk containing both endpoints of XX\overline{XX'} has radius at least XX2=XQ.\frac{XX'}{2} = XQ. Thus no enclosing disk can have radius smaller than the greatest distance from QQ to K.K.

That greatest distance is attained at square corners such as A=(4,5)A = (4, 5) and B=(5,4),B = (5, 4), and checking the corners of all twelve closed squares gives QA=QB=(92)2+(72)2=1302.\begin{aligned} QA = QB &= \sqrt{\left(\tfrac{9}{2}\right)^2 + \left(\tfrac{7}{2}\right)^2} \\ &= \frac{\sqrt{130}}{2}. \end{aligned} The disk centered at QQ with this radius contains every square, so it attains the lower bound.

Hence the minimum radius is r=1302,r = \frac{\sqrt{130}}{2}, and m+n=130+2=132.m + n = 130 + 2 = 132.

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