2025 AIME I Problem 12

Attempt Problem 12 of the 2025 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 2025 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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12.

The set of points in 33-dimensional coordinate space that lie in the plane x+y+z=75x + y + z = 75 whose coordinates satisfy the inequalities x−yz<y−zx<z−xyx - yz \lt y - zx \lt z - xy forms three disjoint convex regions. Exactly one of those regions has finite area. The area of this finite region can be expressed in the form ab,a\sqrt{b}, where aa and bb are positive integers and bb is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a+b.a + b.

Answer: 510
Concepts:inequalityfactoringtriangle areavector
Difficulty rating: 3060
Small Hint:

The first inequality rearranges to (x−y)(1+z)<0,(x - y)(1 + z) \lt 0, and the second to (y−z)(1+x)<0(y - z)(1 + x) \lt 0

Big Hint:

The bounded piece is −1<x<y<z-1 \lt x \lt y \lt z on the plane; its corners come from the boundaries x=−1,x = -1, x=y,x = y, and y=zy = z

Solution:

Since x−yz−(y−zx)x - yz - (y - zx) =(x−y)+z(x−y)= (x - y) + z(x - y) =(x−y)(1+z),= (x - y)(1 + z), and similarly y−zx−(z−xy)y - zx - (z - xy) =(y−z)(1+x),= (y - z)(1 + x), the conditions are (x−y)(1+z)<0(x - y)(1 + z) \lt 0 and (y−z)(1+x)<0.(y - z)(1 + x) \lt 0. Each condition offers two sign patterns, giving four combinations. The combination x>y,x \gt y, z<−1,z \lt -1, y>z,y \gt z, x<−1x \lt -1 is impossible on the plane: x,z<−1x, z \lt -1 forces y>77,y \gt 77, contradicting x>y.x \gt y. Two of the remaining combinations allow a coordinate to run off to infinity, producing the two unbounded regions.

The bounded region is x<y,x \lt y, y<z,y \lt z, x>−1x \gt -1 (the fourth constraint z>−1z \gt -1 is then automatic): the set −1<x<y<z-1 \lt x \lt y \lt z on the plane. Its closure is the triangle whose vertices come from intersecting the boundary lines pairwise: x=−1,x = -1, x=yx = y gives (−1,−1,77);(-1, -1, 77); x=−1,x = -1, y=zy = z gives (−1,38,38);(-1, 38, 38); and x=y=zx = y = z gives (25,25,25).(25, 25, 25).

With A=(−1,−1,77),A = (-1, -1, 77), the edge vectors are B−A=(0,39,−39)B - A = (0, 39, -39) and C−A=(26,26,−52),C - A = (26, 26, -52), whose cross product is −1014 (1,1,1),-1014\,(1, 1, 1), of length 10143.1014\sqrt{3}. The area is 101432=5073,\frac{1014\sqrt{3}}{2} = 507\sqrt{3}, so a+b=507+3=510.a + b = 507 + 3 = 510.

Problem 11#11
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