2021 AIME I Problem 6

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6.

Segments AB‾,\overline{AB}, AC‾,\overline{AC}, and AD‾\overline{AD} are edges of a cube and AG‾\overline{AG} is a diagonal through the center of the cube. Point PP satisfies BP=6010,BP = 60\sqrt{10}, CP=605,CP = 60\sqrt{5}, DP=1202,DP = 120\sqrt{2}, and GP=367.GP = 36\sqrt{7}. Find AP.AP.

Answer: 192
Concepts:3D geometrycoordinate geometrydistance formula
Difficulty rating: 2450
Small Hint:

Put AA at the origin with the cube’s edges along the axes and side length s;s; expand each squared distance in terms of AP2,AP^2, s,s, and the coordinates of PP

Big Hint:

The combination BP2+CP2+DP2−GP2BP^2 + CP^2 + DP^2 - GP^2 collapses to 2 AP2:2\,AP^2: all terms involving ss cancel

Solution:

Let AA be the origin with B=(s,0,0),B = (s, 0, 0), C=(0,s,0),C = (0, s, 0), D=(0,0,s),D = (0, 0, s), G=(s,s,s),G = (s, s, s), and P=(x,y,z).P = (x, y, z). Expanding, BP2=AP2−2sx+s2,CP2=AP2−2sy+s2,DP2=AP2−2sz+s2, \begin{aligned} BP^2 &= AP^2 - 2sx + s^2, \\ CP^2 &= AP^2 - 2sy + s^2, \\ DP^2 &= AP^2 - 2sz + s^2, \end{aligned} while GP2=AP2−2s(x+y+z)GP^2 = AP^2 - 2s(x + y + z) +3s2.+ 3s^2. Therefore BP2+CP2+DP2−GP2=2 AP2, \begin{aligned} &BP^2 + CP^2 \\ &\quad {}+ DP^2 - GP^2 \\ &= 2\,AP^2, \end{aligned} with every term involving ss or the coordinates of PP cancelling.

The given lengths yield BP2=36000,BP^2 = 36000, CP2=18000,CP^2 = 18000, DP2=28800,DP^2 = 28800, and GP2=9072,GP^2 = 9072, so 2 AP2=36000+18000+28800−9072=73728, \begin{aligned} 2\,AP^2 &= 36000 + 18000 \\ &\quad {}+ 28800 - 9072 \\ &= 73728, \end{aligned} giving AP2=36864AP^2 = 36864 and AP=192.AP = 192.

Problem 5#5
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