2012 AMC 12B Problem 22

Attempt Problem 22 of the 2012 AMC 12B 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 2012 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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22.

A bug travels from AA to BB along the segments in the hexagonal lattice pictured below. The segments marked with an arrow can be traveled only in the direction of the arrow, and the bug never travels the same segment more than once. How many different paths are there?

21122112

23042304

23682368

23842384

24002400

Answer: E
Concepts:caseworkmultiplication principle
Difficulty rating: 2270
Solution:

Label the seven columns of forward (rightward) segments; a path with no back segment simply chooses one forward segment in each column. The numbers of choices are 2,2,4,4,4,2,2,2,2,4,4,4,2,2, giving 2102^{10} paths.

Let s1,s2,s3s_1,s_2,s_3 be the three left-pointing back segments (in columns 2,4,62,4,6). Analyzing which columns become forced once a back segment is traversed gives 282^8 paths for each of {s1}\{s_1\} and {s3},\{s_3\}, 262^6 for {s1,s3},\{s_1,s_3\}, 292^9 for {s2},\{s_2\}, 272^7 for each of {s1,s2}\{s_1,s_2\} and {s2,s3},\{s_2,s_3\}, and 252^5 for {s1,s2,s3}.\{s_1,s_2,s_3\}.

Adding, 210+228+26+29+227+25=2400. \begin{aligned} &2^{10}+2\cdot2^8+2^6 \\ &\quad {}+2^9+2\cdot2^7+2^5=2400. \end{aligned}

Thus, the correct answer is E.

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