2024 AMC 12B Problem 24

Attempt Problem 24 of the 2024 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 2024 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

24.

What is the number of ordered triples (a,b,c)(a, b, c) of positive integers, with abc9,a \le b \le c \le 9, such that there exists a (non-degenerate) triangle ABC\triangle ABC with an integer inradius for which a,a, b,b, and cc are the lengths of the altitudes from AA to BC,\overline{BC}, BB to AC,\overline{AC}, and CC to AB,\overline{AB}, respectively? (Recall that the inradius of a triangle is the radius of the largest possible circle that can be inscribed in the triangle.)

22

33

44

55

66

Answer: B
Concepts:altitudeincircle, incenter, and inradiustriangle inequality
Difficulty rating: 2410
Solution:

Writing each side as 2[]h,\dfrac{2[\triangle]}{h}, the semiperimeter is [](1a+1b+1c),[\triangle]\bigl(\tfrac1a + \tfrac1b + \tfrac1c\bigr), so the inradius r=[]sr = \dfrac{[\triangle]}{s} satisfies 1r=1a+1b+1c.\dfrac1r = \dfrac1a + \dfrac1b + \dfrac1c. We need this to be 1r\dfrac1r for a positive integer r,r, with the sides (proportional to 1a,1b,1c\tfrac1a, \tfrac1b, \tfrac1c) forming a non-degenerate triangle, requiring 1a<1b+1c.\tfrac1a \lt \tfrac1b + \tfrac1c.

Because abc9,a\le b\le c\le9, the reciprocal sum is at least 3/c1/3,3/c\ge1/3, so the integer rr is one of 1,2,3.1,2,3. Also 1/a<1/r3/a,1/a\lt1/r\le3/a, so r<a3r.r\lt a\le3r. For each of these few values of r,a,r,a, substitute b=a,a+1,,9b=a,a+1,\ldots,9 into c=abrabarbr. c=\frac{abr}{ab-ar-br}. Keeping only integral cc with bc9b\le c\le9 gives the complete list r(a,b,c)1(2,3,6),(2,4,4),(3,3,3)2(4,8,8),(6,6,6)3(9,9,9). \begin{array}{c|l} r& (a,b,c)\\ \hline 1&(2,3,6),(2,4,4),(3,3,3)\\ 2&(4,8,8),(6,6,6)\\ 3&(9,9,9). \end{array} The triples (2,3,6),(2,4,4),(2,3,6),(2,4,4), and (4,8,8)(4,8,8) have 1a=1b+1c\tfrac1a=\tfrac1b+\tfrac1c and therefore give degenerate triangles. The remaining triples are (3,3,3),(6,6,6),(3,3,3),(6,6,6), and (9,9,9),(9,9,9), so the answer is 3.3.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

← Problem 23#23
Full Exam

Problem 24 in Other Years