2018 AIME II Problem 4

Attempt Problem 4 of the 2018 AIME II 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 2018 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

4.

In equiangular octagon CAROLINE,CAROLINE, CA=RO=LI=NE=2CA = RO = LI = NE = \sqrt{2} and AR=OL=IN=EC=1.AR = OL = IN = EC = 1. The self-intersecting octagon CORNELIACORNELIA encloses six non-overlapping triangular regions. Let KK be the area enclosed by CORNELIA,CORNELIA, that is, the total area of the six triangular regions. Then K=ab,K = \frac{a}{b}, where aa and bb are relatively prime positive integers. Find a+b.a + b.
Answer: 23
Concepts:equiangular polygoncoordinate geometryarea decompositionsymmetry
Small hint:
Place the octagon on a grid: the 2\sqrt{2} sides are diagonals of unit squares, so all eight vertices are lattice points
Big hint:
The path CORNELIACORNELIA has a 180∘180^\circ rotational symmetry; find where segments AIAI and RNRN cross segment COCO and each other
Solution:
Since the interior angles are all 135∘135^\circ and the 2\sqrt{2} sides are diagonals of unit squares, the octagon fits on a lattice: C=(0,0),C = (0, 0), A=(1,1),A = (1, 1), R=(2,1),R = (2, 1), O=(3,0),O = (3, 0), L=(3,−1),L = (3, -1), I=(2,−2),I = (2, -2), N=(1,−2),N = (1, -2), E=(0,−1).E = (0, -1). The path CORNELIACORNELIA is carried to itself by the 180∘180^\circ rotation about (32,−12).(\tfrac{3}{2}, -\tfrac{1}{2}). Let YY and ZZ be the points where AIAI and RNRN cross CO,CO, and let W=AI∩RN.W = AI \cap RN. Segment AIAI has slope −3,-3, so Y=(43,0),Y = (\tfrac{4}{3}, 0), and by symmetry Z=(53,0)Z = (\tfrac{5}{3}, 0) and W=(32,−12).W = (\tfrac{3}{2}, -\tfrac{1}{2}).
The six enclosed regions are the four congruent corner triangles like CAYCAY and the two small congruent triangles like YZW.YZW. Triangle CAYCAY has base CY=43CY = \tfrac{4}{3} and height 1,1, so its area is 23.\tfrac{2}{3}. Triangle YZWYZW has base YZ=13YZ = \tfrac{1}{3} and height 12,\tfrac{1}{2}, so its area is 112.\tfrac{1}{12}. Therefore K=4⋅23+2⋅112=83+16=176, \begin{aligned} K &= 4 \cdot \frac{2}{3} + 2 \cdot \frac{1}{12} \\ &= \frac{8}{3} + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{17}{6}, \end{aligned} and a+b=17+6=23.a + b = 17 + 6 = 23.
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