2026 AIME I Problem 12

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Concepts:sphere3D geometrycoordinate geometrytransformation

Difficulty rating: 3060

12.

Triangle ABC\triangle ABC lies in plane P\mathcal{P} with AB=6,AB = 6, AC=4,AC = 4, and BAC=90.\angle BAC = 90^\circ. Let DD be the reflection across BC\overline{BC} of the centroid of ABC.\triangle ABC. Four spheres, all on the same side of P,\mathcal{P}, have radii 1,2,3,1, 2, 3, and rr and are tangent to P\mathcal{P} at points A,A, B,B, C,C, and D,D, respectively. The four spheres are also each tangent to a second plane T\mathcal{T} and are all on the same side of T.\mathcal{T}. The value of rr can be written as mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

A sphere of radius ρ\rho tangent to P\mathcal{P} at PP has center P+ρk,P + \rho k, where kk is the upward unit normal of P.\mathcal{P}. Write T\mathcal{T} as {x:nx=c}\{x : n \cdot x = c\} with unit normal n=(n1,n2,h)n = (n_1, n_2, h) in coordinates where P\mathcal{P} is the xyxy-plane. Tangency with all spheres on the same side means n(P+ρk)c=ρn \cdot (P + \rho k) - c = \rho for each sphere, that is n1xP+n2yPc=(1h)ρ.n_1 x_P + n_2 y_P - c = (1 - h)\rho. Here h1,h \ne 1, since otherwise the left side would be constant while the radii differ. So ρ=g(P)\rho = g(P) for the affine function g(x,y)=n1x+n2yc1h.g(x,y) = \frac{n_1 x + n_2 y - c}{1 - h}.

Take A=(0,0),A = (0,0), B=(6,0),B = (6,0), C=(0,4).C = (0,4). The affine function with g(A)=1,g(A) = 1, g(B)=2,g(B) = 2, g(C)=3g(C) = 3 is g(x,y)=1+x6+y2.g(x,y) = 1 + \frac{x}{6} + \frac{y}{2}. The centroid is G=(2,43),G = \left(2, \frac{4}{3}\right), and line BCBC is 2x+3y=12.2x + 3y = 12. Since 22+34312=4,2 \cdot 2 + 3 \cdot \frac{4}{3} - 12 = -4, reflecting gives D=G+813(2,3)=(4213, 12439).D = G + \frac{8}{13}\,(2, 3) = \left(\frac{42}{13},\ \frac{124}{39}\right).

Therefore r=g(D)=1+164213+1212439=1+2139+6239=12239.r = g(D) = 1 + \frac{1}{6} \cdot \frac{42}{13} + \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{124}{39} = 1 + \frac{21}{39} + \frac{62}{39} = \frac{122}{39}. (Such a plane exists: the normal condition (1h)2g2=1h2(1-h)^2\left|\nabla g\right|^2 = 1 - h^2 with g2=518\left|\nabla g\right|^2 = \frac{5}{18} gives h=1323.h = -\frac{13}{23}.) Since gcd(122,39)=1,\gcd(122, 39) = 1, the answer is 122+39=161.122 + 39 = 161.

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