Question

Consider the paths of length $16$ that follow the lines from the lower left corner to the upper right corner on an $8 \times 8$ grid. Find the number of such paths that change direction exactly four times, as in the examples shown below.

Answer

Solution:

A path that changes direction exactly four times consists of five maximal straight runs, alternating between rightward and upward moves. If the first run is rightward, the pattern is $R, U, R, U, R:$ three rightward runs with positive lengths summing to $8,$ and two upward runs with positive lengths summing to $8.$ The counts of such compositions are $\binom{7}{2} = 21$ and $\binom{7}{1} = 7,$ giving $21 \cdot 7 = 147$ paths.

Paths starting upward are counted symmetrically, another $147.$ The total is $147 + 147 = 294.$

2024 AIME I Problem 6

Solution:

Problem 6 in Other Years