2013 AIME I Problem 12

Attempt Problem 12 of the 2013 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 2013 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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12.

Let △PQR\triangle PQR be a triangle with ∠P=75∘\angle P = 75^\circ and ∠Q=60∘.\angle Q = 60^\circ. A regular hexagon ABCDEFABCDEF with side length 11 is drawn inside △PQR\triangle PQR so that side AB‾\overline{AB} lies on PQ‾,\overline{PQ}, side CD‾\overline{CD} lies on QR‾,\overline{QR}, and one of the remaining vertices lies on RP‾.\overline{RP}. There are positive integers a,a, b,b, c,c, and dd such that the area of △PQR\triangle PQR can be expressed in the form a+bcd,\frac{a + b\sqrt{c}}{d}, where aa and dd are relatively prime, and cc is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a+b+c+d.a + b + c + d.

Answer: 21
Concepts:regular polygoncoordinate geometrytriangle area
Difficulty rating: 2990
Small Hint:

The hexagon’s 120∘120^\circ angles make the corner triangle at QQ equilateral, so QB=QC=1;QB = QC = 1; set up coordinates with QQ at the origin and QRQR along the xx-axis

Big Hint:

Vertex FF sits directly above DD at height 3,\sqrt{3}, and the 45∘45^\circ line RPRP through FF gives QR=2+3QR = 2 + \sqrt{3}

Solution:

Note ∠R=45∘.\angle R = 45^\circ. Because the hexagon’s interior angles are 120∘,120^\circ, segment BC‾\overline{BC} cuts off a corner triangle at QQ with two 60∘60^\circ base angles, so triangle BQCBQC is equilateral and QB=QC=1.QB = QC = 1. Put QQ at the origin with QRQR along the positive xx-axis. Then C=(1,0),C = (1, 0), D=(2,0),D = (2, 0), and the hexagon’s vertices are B=(12,32),B = \left(\tfrac{1}{2}, \tfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right), A=(1,3),A = (1, \sqrt{3}), F=(2,3),F = (2, \sqrt{3}), E=(52,32).E = \left(\tfrac{5}{2}, \tfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right).

Since ∠R=45∘,\angle R = 45^\circ, line RPRP has slope −1.-1. If it passed through E,E, it would be x+y=5+32,x + y = \tfrac{5 + \sqrt{3}}{2}, which puts FF (with x+y=2+3x + y = 2 + \sqrt{3}) outside the triangle; so the vertex on RP‾\overline{RP} is F,F, and RPRP is the line x+y=2+3.x + y = 2 + \sqrt{3}. It meets the xx-axis at R=(2+3, 0)R = (2 + \sqrt{3},\ 0) and the line y=3 xy = \sqrt{3}\,x (line QPQP) where x(1+3)=2+3,x(1 + \sqrt{3}) = 2 + \sqrt{3}, giving PP height y=3(2+3)1+3=3+32.y = \frac{\sqrt{3}(2 + \sqrt{3})}{1 + \sqrt{3}} = \frac{3 + \sqrt{3}}{2}.

The area is 12⋅QR⋅y\frac{1}{2} \cdot QR \cdot y =12(2+3)⋅3+32= \frac{1}{2}(2 + \sqrt{3}) \cdot \frac{3 + \sqrt{3}}{2} =9+534,= \frac{9 + 5\sqrt{3}}{4}, so a+b+c+d=9+5+3+4a + b + c + d = 9 + 5 + 3 + 4 =21.= 21.

Problem 11#11
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