2025 AIME I Problem 4

Attempt Problem 4 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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4.

Find the number of ordered pairs (x,y),(x, y), where both xx and yy are integers between 100-100 and 100,100, inclusive, such that 12x2xy6y2=0.12x^2 - xy - 6y^2 = 0.

Answer: 117
Concepts:Diophantine Equationfactoringcounting integers in a range
Difficulty rating: 2110
Small Hint:

The left side factors as (3x+2y)(4x3y)(3x + 2y)(4x - 3y)

Big Hint:

One line gives (x,y)=(3t,4t)(x, y) = (3t, 4t) with t25;|t| \le 25; the other gives (2t,3t)(2t, -3t) with t33.|t| \le 33. Don’t count the origin twice.

Solution:

The equation factors as 12x2xy6y2=(3x+2y)(4x3y)=0, \begin{gathered} 12x^2 - xy - 6y^2 \\ = (3x + 2y)(4x - 3y) \\ = 0, \end{gathered} so every solution has 4x=3y4x = 3y or 3x=2y.3x = -2y.

Integer solutions of 4x=3y4x = 3y are (x,y)=(3t,4t);(x, y) = (3t, 4t); the constraint 4t100|4t| \le 100 gives 25t25,-25 \le t \le 25, or 5151 pairs. Integer solutions of 3x=2y3x = -2y are (x,y)=(2t,3t);(x, y) = (2t, -3t); the constraint 3t100|3t| \le 100 gives 33t33,-33 \le t \le 33, or 6767 pairs. The families overlap only at (0,0),(0, 0), so the count is 51+671=117.51 + 67 - 1 = 117.

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