2005 AMC 12B Problem 24

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24.

All three vertices of an equilateral triangle are on the parabola y=x2,y = x^2, and one of its sides has a slope of 2.2. The xx-coordinates of the three vertices have a sum of mn,\dfrac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. What is the value of m+n?m + n?

1414

1515

1616

1717

1818

Answer: A
Concepts:parabolatrigonometric identityequilateral triangle
Difficulty rating: 2300
Solution:

For vertices (a,a2),(b,b2),(c,c2),(a, a^2), (b, b^2), (c, c^2), the slope of a side is b2a2ba=a+b.\dfrac{b^2 - a^2}{b - a} = a + b. Adding the three side slopes, (a+b)+(b+c)+(c+a)=2(a+b+c)=2mn. \begin{aligned} &(a+b) + (b+c) + (c+a) \\ &= 2(a + b + c) \\ &= 2 \cdot \dfrac{m}{n}. \end{aligned}

One side has slope 2=tanθ.2 = \tan\theta. Because the triangle is equilateral, its sides make angles θ\theta and θ±60,\theta \pm 60^\circ, so the other two slopes are tan(θ±60)=2±3123=8±5311. \begin{aligned} &\tan(\theta \pm 60^\circ) = \dfrac{2 \pm \sqrt3}{1 \mp 2\sqrt3} \\ &= -\dfrac{8 \pm 5\sqrt3}{11}. \end{aligned}

The sum of the three slopes is 28+53112 - \dfrac{8 + 5\sqrt3}{11} 85311=- \dfrac{8 - 5\sqrt3}{11} = 221611=611.\dfrac{22 - 16}{11} = \dfrac{6}{11}.

Thus a+b+c=12611=311,a + b + c = \dfrac12 \cdot \dfrac{6}{11} = \dfrac{3}{11}, so m+n=3+11=14.m + n = 3 + 11 = 14.

Thus, the correct answer is A.

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