2010 AIME I Problem 8

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 8 of the 2010 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2010 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:floor and ceiling functionslattice pointdistance formulasymmetry

Difficulty rating: 2840

8.

For a real number a,a, let a\lfloor a \rfloor denote the greatest integer less than or equal to a.a. Let R\mathcal{R} denote the region in the coordinate plane consisting of points (x,y)(x, y) such that x2+y2=25.\lfloor x \rfloor^2 + \lfloor y \rfloor^2 = 25. The region R\mathcal{R} is completely contained in a disk of radius rr (a disk is the union of a circle and its interior). The minimum value of rr can be written as mn,\frac{\sqrt{m}}{n}, where mm and nn are integers and mm is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Since x\lfloor x \rfloor and y\lfloor y \rfloor are integers whose squares sum to 25,25, the pair (x,y)(\lfloor x \rfloor, \lfloor y \rfloor) is one of the 1212 pairs (±5,0),(\pm 5, 0), (0,±5),(0, \pm 5), (±3,±4),(\pm 3, \pm 4), (±4,±3).(\pm 4, \pm 3). So R\mathcal{R} is the union of the 1212 unit squares whose lower-left corners are these points.

The map (x,y)(1x,1y)(x, y) \mapsto (1 - x, 1 - y) permutes these squares, so R\mathcal{R} is symmetric under 180180^\circ rotation about Q=(12,12).Q = \left(\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{2}\right). The smallest enclosing disk is unique, so its center must be Q.Q. The farthest points of R\mathcal{R} from QQ are square corners such as A=(4,5)A = (4, 5) and B=(5,4),B = (5, 4), at distance (92)2+(72)2=1302;\sqrt{\left(\tfrac{9}{2}\right)^2 + \left(\tfrac{7}{2}\right)^2} = \frac{\sqrt{130}}{2}; checking all twelve squares confirms no corner is farther.

Hence the minimum radius is r=1302,r = \frac{\sqrt{130}}{2}, and m+n=130+2=132.m + n = 130 + 2 = 132.

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