2012 AIME I Exam Solutions

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All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

1.

Find the number of positive integers with three not necessarily distinct digits, abc,abc, with a0a \ne 0 and c0c \ne 0 such that both abcabc and cbacba are multiples of 4.4.

Concepts:divisibilitydigitscasework

Difficulty rating: 1950

Solution:

An integer is a multiple of 44 exactly when its last two digits form a multiple of 4,4, so we need 410b+c4 \mid 10b + c and 410b+a.4 \mid 10b + a. In particular aa and cc are even, and subtracting the two conditions shows 4ac.4 \mid a - c. The even nonzero digits split by remainder mod 44 into {2,6}\{2, 6\} and {4,8},\{4, 8\}, so aa and cc must both come from the same one of these sets: 44 ordered pairs (a,c)(a, c) from each.

If c2(mod4),c \equiv 2 \pmod 4, then 10b+c2b+2(mod4)10b + c \equiv 2b + 2 \pmod 4 requires bb odd (55 choices), and the condition on 10b+a10b + a holds automatically since ac(mod4).a \equiv c \pmod 4. If c0(mod4),c \equiv 0 \pmod 4, then bb must be even (55 choices).

The count is 45+45=40.4 \cdot 5 + 4 \cdot 5 = 40.

2.

The terms of an arithmetic sequence add to 715.715. The first term of the sequence is increased by 1,1, the second term is increased by 3,3, the third term is increased by 5,5, and in general, the kkth term is increased by the kkth odd positive integer. The terms of the new sequence add to 836.836. Find the sum of the first, last, and middle terms of the original sequence.

Solution:

If the sequence has nn terms, the amounts added are the first nn odd numbers, whose sum is n2.n^2. Thus n2=836715=121,n^2 = 836 - 715 = 121, so n=11.n = 11.

The average of the 1111 terms is 71511=65,\frac{715}{11} = 65, which equals the middle (sixth) term of the arithmetic sequence. The first and last terms also average to 65,65, so they add to 130.130.

The requested sum is 65+130=195.65 + 130 = 195.

3.

Nine people sit down for dinner where there are three choices of meals. Three people order the beef meal, three order the chicken meal, and three order the fish meal. The waiter serves the nine meals in random order. Find the number of ways in which the waiter could serve the meal types to the nine people so that exactly one person receives the type of meal ordered by that person.

Difficulty rating: 2400

Solution:

Choose the one person served correctly (99 ways); by symmetry say they ordered beef. The remaining meals — 22 beef, 33 chicken, and 33 fish — must go to the other 88 people (22 beef, 33 chicken, and 33 fish orderers) with nobody matched. Track where the 22 leftover beef meals go: to chicken or fish orderers.

If both go to the same group, say to two of the three chicken orderers (3+3=63 + 3 = 6 ways counting both groups), then the third chicken orderer must receive fish, the three fish orderers must take the three chicken meals, and the two beef orderers take the remaining fish: everything is forced. If one goes to a chicken orderer and one to a fish orderer (33=93 \cdot 3 = 9 ways), the other two chicken orderers must take fish and the other two fish orderers must take chicken, leaving one chicken and one fish meal to split between the two beef orderers (22 ways).

The total is 9(6+92)=216.9\,(6 + 9 \cdot 2) = 216.

4.

Butch and Sundance need to get out of Dodge. To travel as quickly as possible, each alternates walking and riding their only horse, Sparky, as follows. Butch begins by walking while Sundance rides. When Sundance reaches the first of the hitching posts that are conveniently located at one-mile intervals along their route, he ties Sparky to the post and begins walking. When Butch reaches Sparky, he rides until he passes Sundance, then leaves Sparky at the next hitching post and resumes walking, and they continue in this manner. Sparky, Butch, and Sundance walk at 6,6, 4,4, and 2.52.5 miles per hour, respectively. The first time Butch and Sundance meet at a milepost, they are nn miles from Dodge, and they have been traveling for tt minutes. Find n+t.n + t.

Difficulty rating: 2460

Solution:

Walking a mile takes Sparky 1010 minutes, Butch 15,15, and Sundance 24.24. The horse advances along the same route as the men and is ridden over each mile by exactly one of them, so if Butch walks xx of the nn miles and rides the other nx,n - x, then Sundance rides those xx miles and walks the remaining nx.n - x.

When they meet at a milepost they have been traveling for the same amount of time, so 15x+10(nx)=10x+24(nx),15x + 10(n - x) = 10x + 24(n - x), which simplifies to 19x=14n.19x = 14n. Since the handoffs happen at mileposts, xx and nn are integers, and the smallest positive solution is x=14,x = 14, n=19.n = 19.

Then t=1514+105=260t = 15 \cdot 14 + 10 \cdot 5 = 260 minutes, so n+t=19+260=279.n + t = 19 + 260 = 279.

5.

Let BB be the set of all binary integers that can be written using exactly 55 zeros and 88 ones where leading zeros are allowed. If all possible subtractions are performed in which one element of BB is subtracted from another, find the number of times the answer 11 is obtained.

Difficulty rating: 2460

Solution:

We must count pairs of elements of BB differing by 1,1, say mm and m+1.m + 1. Adding 11 to a binary number turns its trailing block 0111011\cdots1 (a zero followed by kk ones) into 1000,100\cdots0, changing the number of ones by 1k.1 - k. Both numbers have exactly eight ones precisely when k=1:k = 1: mm ends in 01,01, m+1m + 1 ends in 10,10, and the two numbers agree everywhere else.

The shared first eleven digits then consist of the remaining seven ones and four zeros, and since leading zeros are allowed, every arrangement gives a valid pair: (114)=330.\binom{11}{4} = 330. Each pair produces the answer 11 exactly once, so the count is 330.330.

6.

The complex numbers zz and ww satisfy z13=w,z^{13} = w, w11=z,w^{11} = z, and the imaginary part of zz is sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) for relatively prime positive integers mm and nn with m<n.m \lt n. Find n.n.

Difficulty rating: 2300

Solution:

Substituting, z=w11=(z13)11=z143,z = w^{11} = (z^{13})^{11} = z^{143}, and z0,z \ne 0, so z142=1.z^{142} = 1. Conversely, any 142142nd root of unity zz works with w=z13,w = z^{13}, since then w11=z143=z.w^{11} = z^{143} = z.

Hence z=cos2kπ142+isin2kπ142z = \cos\frac{2k\pi}{142} + i\sin\frac{2k\pi}{142} for some integer k,k, and the imaginary part of zz is sinkπ71.\sin\frac{k\pi}{71}. Since 7171 is prime, for every kk with 1k701 \le k \le 70 the fraction k71\frac{k}{71} is already in lowest terms, matching the required form sin(mπn)\sin\left(\frac{m\pi}{n}\right) with m<n.m \lt n. Thus n=71.n = 71.

7.

At each of the sixteen circles in the network below stands a student. A total of 33603360 coins are distributed among the sixteen students. All at once, all students give away all their coins by passing an equal number of coins to each of their neighbors in the network. After the trade, all students have the same number of coins as they started with. Find the number of coins the student standing at the center circle had originally.

Difficulty rating: 2600

Solution:

Group the sixteen circles into rings: the center, the inner ring of five, the middle ring of five, and the outer ring of five, holding p,p, q,q, r,r, and ss coins in total, respectively. The center has 55 neighbors (the inner ring); each inner student has 33 (the center and two middle students); each middle student has 44 (two inner and two outer); each outer student has 44 (two middle and two outer). A student with kk neighbors sends 1k\frac{1}{k} of their coins to each neighbor.

Summing the trades over each ring (for example, the outer ring receives a quarter of each middle student's coins twice over, which totals r2\frac{r}{2}) gives p=q3,q=p+r2,r=2q3+s2,s=r2+s2.p = \frac{q}{3}, \qquad q = p + \frac{r}{2}, \qquad r = \frac{2q}{3} + \frac{s}{2}, \qquad s = \frac{r}{2} + \frac{s}{2}.

The first equation gives q=3p,q = 3p, the second then gives r=2(qp)=4p,r = 2(q - p) = 4p, and the last gives s=r=4p.s = r = 4p. The total is p+3p+4p+4p=12p=3360,p + 3p + 4p + 4p = 12p = 3360, so the center student had p=280p = 280 coins.

8.

Cube ABCDEFGH,ABCDEFGH, labeled as shown below, has edge length 11 and is cut by a plane passing through vertex DD and the midpoints MM and NN of AB\overline{AB} and CG,\overline{CG}, respectively. The plane divides the cube into two solids. The volume of the larger of the two solids can be written in the form pq,\frac{p}{q}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q.

Difficulty rating: 2740

Solution:

Extend the cutting plane. In the bottom face, line DMDM meets line CBCB extended beyond BB at a point K;K; since MBDCMB \parallel DC and MB=12DC,MB = \frac{1}{2}DC, segment MBMB is a midline of triangle KDC,KDC, so BB is the midpoint of CK\overline{CK} and CK=2.CK = 2. The plane also cuts edge BFBF at a point P,P, and the piece of the cube cut off past the plane is the pyramid KDCNKDCN with the small pyramid KMBPKMBP sliced away.

Pyramid KDCNKDCN has base DCN,DCN, a right triangle with legs DC=1DC = 1 and CN=12,CN = \frac{1}{2}, and its apex KK is at distance CK=2CK = 2 from the plane of that base, so its volume is 13142=16.\frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{4} \cdot 2 = \frac{1}{6}. Pyramid KMBPKMBP is similar to KDCNKDCN with ratio KBKC=12,\frac{KB}{KC} = \frac{1}{2}, so its volume is 1816=148.\frac{1}{8} \cdot \frac{1}{6} = \frac{1}{48}.

The smaller piece therefore has volume 16148=748,\frac{1}{6} - \frac{1}{48} = \frac{7}{48}, and the larger piece has volume 1748=4148,1 - \frac{7}{48} = \frac{41}{48}, giving p+q=41+48=89.p + q = 41 + 48 = 89.

9.

Let x,x, y,y, and zz be positive real numbers that satisfy 2logx(2y)=2log2x(4z)=log2x4(8yz)0.2\log_{x}(2y) = 2\log_{2x}(4z) = \log_{2x^4}(8yz) \ne 0. The value of xy5zxy^5z can be expressed in the form 12p/q,\frac{1}{2^{p/q}}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q.

Difficulty rating: 2650

Solution:

Write x=2a,x = 2^a, y=2b,y = 2^b, z=2c.z = 2^c. Then logx(2y)=b+1a,\log_x(2y) = \frac{b + 1}{a}, log2x(4z)=c+2a+1,\log_{2x}(4z) = \frac{c + 2}{a + 1}, and log2x4(8yz)=b+c+34a+1,\log_{2x^4}(8yz) = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1}, so the condition is 2(b+1)a=2(c+2)a+1=b+c+34a+10.\frac{2(b + 1)}{a} = \frac{2(c + 2)}{a + 1} = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1} \ne 0.

From the first two, b+1a=c+2a+1,\frac{b + 1}{a} = \frac{c + 2}{a + 1}, and equal ratios also equal their mediant b+c+32a+1.\frac{b + c + 3}{2a + 1}. Comparing with the third expression gives 2(b+c+3)2a+1=b+c+34a+1.\frac{2(b + c + 3)}{2a + 1} = \frac{b + c + 3}{4a + 1}. The common value is nonzero, so b+c+30,b + c + 3 \ne 0, and thus 2(4a+1)=2a+1,2(4a + 1) = 2a + 1, giving a=16.a = -\frac{1}{6}. Then b+11/6=c+25/6\frac{b + 1}{-1/6} = \frac{c + 2}{5/6} yields c+2=5(b+1),c + 2 = -5(b + 1), that is, 5b+c=7.5b + c = -7.

Therefore xy5z=2a+5b+c=21/67=1243/6,xy^5z = 2^{a + 5b + c} = 2^{-1/6 - 7} = \frac{1}{2^{43/6}}, so p+q=43+6=49.p + q = 43 + 6 = 49.

10.

Let S\mathcal{S} be the set of all perfect squares whose rightmost three digits in base 1010 are 256.256. Let T\mathcal{T} be the set of all numbers of the form x2561000,\frac{x - 256}{1000}, where xx is in S.\mathcal{S}. In other words, T\mathcal{T} is the set of numbers that result when the last three digits of each number in S\mathcal{S} are truncated. Find the remainder when the tenth smallest element of T\mathcal{T} is divided by 1000.1000.

Solution:

A square n2n^2 ends in 256256 exactly when 1000n2256=(n16)(n+16).1000 \mid n^2 - 256 = (n - 16)(n + 16). Modulo 8:8: n20(mod8)n^2 \equiv 0 \pmod 8 forces 4n.4 \mid n. Modulo 125:125: the factors n±16n \pm 16 differ by 32,32, so 55 divides at most one of them, and hence 125125 must divide a single factor: n±16(mod125).n \equiv \pm 16 \pmod{125}. Because 1616 is a multiple of 4,4, the two conditions combine to n±16(mod500).n \equiv \pm 16 \pmod{500}.

So S\mathcal{S} consists of the numbers (500m±16)2,(500m \pm 16)^2, whose square roots in increasing order are 16,16, 484,484, 516,516, 984,984, 1016,.1016, \ldots. The tenth smallest element of S\mathcal{S} is (500516)2=24842.(500 \cdot 5 - 16)^2 = 2484^2.

The corresponding element of T\mathcal{T} is 248422561000=246825001000=6170,\frac{2484^2 - 256}{1000} = \frac{2468 \cdot 2500}{1000} = 6170, whose remainder upon division by 10001000 is 170.170.

11.

A frog begins at P0=(0,0)P_0 = (0, 0) and makes a sequence of jumps according to the following rule: from Pn=(xn,yn),P_n = (x_n, y_n), the frog jumps to Pn+1,P_{n+1}, which may be any of the points (xn+7,yn+2),(x_n + 7, y_n + 2), (xn+2,yn+7),(x_n + 2, y_n + 7), (xn5,yn10),(x_n - 5, y_n - 10), or (xn10,yn5).(x_n - 10, y_n - 5). There are MM points (x,y)(x, y) with x+y100|x| + |y| \le 100 that can be reached by a sequence of such jumps. Find the remainder when MM is divided by 1000.1000.

Difficulty rating: 2990

Solution:

Each jump changes x+yx + y by +9+9 or 15-15 and changes xyx - y by ±5.\pm 5. Starting from (0,0),(0, 0), every reachable point therefore has x+y=3jx + y = 3j and xy=5kx - y = 5k for integers jj and k;k; moreover x=3j+5k2x = \frac{3j + 5k}{2} must be an integer, so jj and kk have the same parity. Since x+y=max(x+y,xy),|x| + |y| = \max(|x + y|,\, |x - y|), the condition x+y100|x| + |y| \le 100 becomes j33|j| \le 33 and k20.|k| \le 20.

Conversely, every such point is reachable: a single jump moves between neighboring lines xy=5kx - y = 5k (changing jj by 33 or 5,-5, which flips its parity), and two-jump combinations translate by (9,9)(9, 9) or (15,15),(-15, -15), which combine — two of the former plus one of the latter — into the shift (3,3),(3, 3), moving jj by 22 along a fixed line. Together these reach every pair (j,k)(j, k) of equal parity.

Counting: even jj (3333 values) pairs with even kk (2121 values), and odd jj (3434 values) with odd kk (2020 values), so M=3321+3420=1373.M = 33 \cdot 21 + 34 \cdot 20 = 1373. The remainder is 373.373.

12.

Let ABC\triangle ABC be a right triangle with right angle at C.C. Let DD and EE be points on AB\overline{AB} with DD between AA and EE such that CD\overline{CD} and CE\overline{CE} trisect C.\angle C. If DEBE=815,\frac{DE}{BE} = \frac{8}{15}, then tanB\tan B can be written as mpn,\frac{m\sqrt{p}}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers, and pp is a positive integer not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n+p.m + n + p.

Difficulty rating: 2840

Solution:

The trisectors make ACD=DCE=ECB=30.\angle ACD = \angle DCE = \angle ECB = 30^\circ. In triangle DCB,DCB, ray CECE bisects the 6060^\circ angle DCB,DCB, so the angle bisector theorem gives CDCB=DEEB=815.\frac{CD}{CB} = \frac{DE}{EB} = \frac{8}{15}. Scale the triangle so that CD=8CD = 8 and CB=15.CB = 15.

By the Law of Cosines in triangle DCB,DCB, BD2=82+1522815cos60=169,BD^2 = 8^2 + 15^2 - 2 \cdot 8 \cdot 15 \cos 60^\circ = 169, so BD=13.BD = 13. Applying the Law of Cosines again in the same triangle, 82=132+15221315cosB,8^2 = 13^2 + 15^2 - 2 \cdot 13 \cdot 15 \cos B, which gives cosB=1113.\cos B = \frac{11}{13}.

Then sinB=1121169=4313,\sin B = \sqrt{1 - \frac{121}{169}} = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{13}, so tanB=4311\tan B = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{11} and m+n+p=4+11+3=18.m + n + p = 4 + 11 + 3 = 18.

13.

Three concentric circles have radii 3,3, 4,4, and 5.5. An equilateral triangle with one vertex on each circle has side length s.s. The largest possible area of the triangle can be written as a+bcd,a + \frac{b}{c}\sqrt{d}, where a,a, b,b, c,c, and dd are positive integers, bb and cc are relatively prime, and dd is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a+b+c+d.a + b + c + d.

Difficulty rating: 3160

Solution:

Let OO be the common center and label the triangle ABCABC with OA=3,OA = 3, OB=4,OB = 4, OC=5.OC = 5. Rotate the plane by 6060^\circ about AA so that BB maps to C,C, and let PP be the image of O.O. Then triangle AOPAOP is equilateral, so OP=OA=3,OP = OA = 3, and PC,PC, the image of OB,OB, has length 4.4.

Triangle OPCOPC has sides 3,3, 4,4, 5,5, so OPC=90.\angle OPC = 90^\circ. In the configuration giving the largest triangle, OO lies inside ABCABC and APC=APO+OPC=60+90=150,\angle APC = \angle APO + \angle OPC = 60^\circ + 90^\circ = 150^\circ, so by the Law of Cosines s2=AC2=32+42234cos150=25+123.s^2 = AC^2 = 3^2 + 4^2 - 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 4\cos 150^\circ = 25 + 12\sqrt{3}. (If OO lies outside the triangle, the triangle fits in a half-disk of radius 5,5, so its altitude is at most 55 and s21003,s^2 \le \frac{100}{3}, which is smaller.)

The area is 34s2=34(25+123)=9+2543,\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}\,s^2 = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}\left(25 + 12\sqrt{3}\right) = 9 + \frac{25}{4}\sqrt{3}, so a+b+c+d=9+25+4+3=41.a + b + c + d = 9 + 25 + 4 + 3 = 41.

14.

Complex numbers a,a, b,b, and cc are the zeros of a polynomial P(z)=z3+qz+r,P(z) = z^3 + qz + r, and a2+b2+c2=250.|a|^2 + |b|^2 + |c|^2 = 250. The points corresponding to a,a, b,b, and cc in the complex plane are the vertices of a right triangle with hypotenuse h.h. Find h2.h^2.

Difficulty rating: 3060

Solution:

Since P(z)P(z) has no z2z^2 term, a+b+c=0.a + b + c = 0. Say the right angle is at b;b; then the hypotenuse joins aa and c,c, so h=ac,h = |a - c|, and b=(a+c).b = -(a + c). The midpoint d=a+c2d = \frac{a + c}{2} of the hypotenuse is the circumcenter of the right triangle, so bd=h2.|b - d| = \frac{h}{2}. Since bd=32(a+c),b - d = -\frac{3}{2}(a + c), this gives ac=3a+c.|a - c| = 3\,|a + c|.

By the parallelogram law, a2+c2=ac2+a+c22,|a|^2 + |c|^2 = \frac{|a - c|^2 + |a + c|^2}{2}, and b2=a+c2,|b|^2 = |a + c|^2, so 250=9a+c2+a+c22+a+c2=6a+c2.250 = \frac{9\,|a + c|^2 + |a + c|^2}{2} + |a + c|^2 = 6\,|a + c|^2.

Therefore h2=ac2=9a+c2=92506=375.h^2 = |a - c|^2 = 9\,|a + c|^2 = \frac{9 \cdot 250}{6} = 375.

15.

There are nn mathematicians seated around a circular table with nn seats numbered 1,1, 2,2, 3,3, ,\ldots, nn in clockwise order. After a break they again sit around the table. The mathematicians note that there is a positive integer aa such that

(1) for each k,k, the mathematician who was seated in seat kk before the break is seated in seat kaka after the break (where seat i+ni + n is seat ii);

(2) for every pair of mathematicians, the number of mathematicians sitting between them after the break, counting in both the clockwise and the counterclockwise directions, is different from either of the number of mathematicians sitting between them before the break.

Find the number of possible values of nn with 1<n<1000.1 \lt n \lt 1000.

Difficulty rating: 3370

Solution:

Condition (1) requires the seats a,2a,,naa, 2a, \ldots, na to be pairwise distinct modulo n,n, which happens if and only if gcd(a,n)=1.\gcd(a, n) = 1. For condition (2), the two mathematicians from seats ii and jj have gap counts before the break determined by ±(ij)modn\pm(i - j) \bmod n and after the break by ±a(ij)modn,\pm a(i - j) \bmod n, so the requirement is a(ij)≢±(ij)(modn)a(i - j) \not\equiv \pm(i - j) \pmod{n} for all ij.i \ne j. Equivalently, (a1)(ij)≢0(a - 1)(i - j) \not\equiv 0 and (a+1)(ij)≢0(modn)(a + 1)(i - j) \not\equiv 0 \pmod{n} for every nonzero residue ij,i - j, which holds exactly when a1a - 1 and a+1a + 1 are also relatively prime to n.n.

So nn is possible if and only if some aa satisfies gcd((a1)a(a+1),n)=1.\gcd\big((a - 1)\,a\,(a + 1),\, n\big) = 1. Any three consecutive integers include a multiple of 22 and a multiple of 3,3, so no aa works when gcd(n,6)>1.\gcd(n, 6) \gt 1. Conversely, if gcd(n,6)=1,\gcd(n, 6) = 1, then a=3a = 3 works, since 234=242 \cdot 3 \cdot 4 = 24 has only the prime factors 22 and 3.3.

The valid nn with 1<n<10001 \lt n \lt 1000 are those congruent to ±1(mod6),\pm 1 \pmod 6, namely 6k±16k \pm 1 for 1k166,1 \le k \le 166, and there are 2166=3322 \cdot 166 = 332 of them.