2024 AMC 10A Problem 23

Attempt Problem 23 of the 2024 AMC 10A 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 2024 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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23.

Integers a,a, b,b, and cc satisfy

ab+c=100,bc+a=87,ca+b=60. \begin{aligned} ab + c &= 100, \\ bc + a &= 87, \\ ca + b &= 60. \end{aligned}

What is ab+bc+ca?ab + bc + ca?

212212

247247

258258

276276

284284

Answer: D
Concepts:system of equationsfactoringDiophantine Equation
Difficulty rating: 2270
Solution:

Subtract the second equation from the first: (ac)(b1)=13.(a-c)(b-1)=13. Put u=acu=a-c and v=b1.v=b-1. The four possibilities (u,v)=(1,13),(u,v)=(1,13), (13,1),(13,1), (1,13),(-1,-13), and (13,1)(-13,-1) give, after substitution into bc+a=87,bc+a=87, respectively c=86/15,c=86/15, c=74/3,c=74/3, c=8,c=-8, and c=100.c=100. Only the third is an integer solution of all three original equations: (a,b,c)=(9,12,8).(a,b,c)=(-9,-12,-8). (The last candidate is (87,0,100),(87,0,100), which fails ca+b=60.ca+b=60.) Adding the original equations gives ab+bc+caab+bc+ca +(a+b+c)=247.{}+(a+b+c)=247. Since a+b+c=29,a+b+c=-29, we obtain ab+bc+caab+bc+ca =247(29)=276.=247-(-29)=276. Thus, D is the correct answer.

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