2023 AIME II Problem 7

Attempt Problem 7 of the 2023 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 2023 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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7.

Each vertex of a regular dodecagon (1212-gon) is to be colored either red or blue, and thus there are 2122^{12} possible colorings. Find the number of these colorings with the property that no four vertices colored the same color are the four vertices of a rectangle.

Answer: 928
Concepts:arrangements with restrictionsmultiplication principlecasework
Difficulty rating: 2600
Small Hint:

A rectangle inscribed in the circle must have both diagonals as diameters, so rectangles correspond to pairs of the 66 antipodal pairs of vertices

Big Hint:

Classify each antipodal pair as both red, both blue, or mixed; a coloring works exactly when at most one pair is both red and at most one is both blue

Solution:

The twelve vertices lie on a circle, and a rectangle inscribed in a circle must have its diagonals pass through the center. So the rectangles with vertices among the twelve are exactly the pairs of distinct diameters, where the diameters join the 66 antipodal pairs of vertices. A monochromatic rectangle appears exactly when two antipodal pairs are each colored solidly in the same color.

Each antipodal pair is independently both red (11 way), both blue (11 way), or mixed (22 ways). A coloring is valid exactly when at most one pair is both red and at most one pair is both blue. Counting by the numbers of solid red and solid blue pairs: 26+625+625+6524=64+192+192+480=928. \begin{gathered} 2^6 + 6 \cdot 2^5 \\ {}+ 6 \cdot 2^5 + 6 \cdot 5 \cdot 2^4 \\ = 64 + 192 + 192 + 480 \\ = 928. \end{gathered}

Problem 6#6
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