2023 AMC 10A Problem 4

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 4 of the 2023 AMC 10A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2023 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:triangle inequalitybounding to limit cases

Difficulty rating: 1130

4.

A quadrilateral has all integer side lengths, a perimeter of 26,26, and one side of length 4.4. What is the greatest possible length of one side of this quadrilateral?

99

1010

1111

1212

1313

Solution:

In any quadrilateral each side is shorter than the sum of the other three. Call the longest side s.s. The rest sum to 26s,26 - s, so s<26s,s \lt 26 - s, which gives s<13s \lt 13 and hence s12.s \le 12. Can we hit 12?12? The sides 4,12,9,14, 12, 9, 1 work, since 12<4+9+1.12 \lt 4 + 9 + 1. So the greatest length is 12.12. Therefore, the answer is D.

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