2024 AIME I Problem 14

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Concepts:3D geometryvolumeHeron’s Formula

Difficulty rating: 3270

14.

Let ABCDABCD be a tetrahedron such that AB=CD=41,AB = CD = \sqrt{41}, AC=BD=80,AC = BD = \sqrt{80}, and BC=AD=89.BC = AD = \sqrt{89}. There exists a point II inside the tetrahedron such that the distances from II to each of the faces of the tetrahedron are all equal. This distance can be written in the form mnp,\frac{m\sqrt{n}}{p}, where m,m, n,n, and pp are positive integers, mm and pp are relatively prime, and nn is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n+p.m + n + p.

Solution:

A tetrahedron with equal opposite edges embeds in a rectangular box with the six edges as face diagonals. If the box has dimensions a×b×c,a \times b \times c, then a2+b2=41,a^2 + b^2 = 41, a2+c2=80,a^2 + c^2 = 80, and b2+c2=89.b^2 + c^2 = 89. Adding gives a2+b2+c2=105,a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = 105, so (a,b,c)=(4,5,8).(a, b, c) = (4, 5, 8). The box minus four corner tetrahedra of volume abc6\frac{abc}{6} each leaves V=abc4abc6=abc3=1603.V = abc - 4 \cdot \frac{abc}{6} = \frac{abc}{3} = \frac{160}{3}.

All four faces are congruent triangles with sides 41,\sqrt{41}, 80,\sqrt{80}, 89.\sqrt{89}. By Heron's formula in the form 16F2=2(a2b2+b2c2+c2a2)(a4+b4+c4)16F^2 = 2(a^2b^2 + b^2c^2 + c^2a^2) - (a^4 + b^4 + c^4) applied to the squared sides 41,80,89,41, 80, 89, we get 16F2=2809816002=12096,16F^2 = 28098 - 16002 = 12096, so F=756=621.F = \sqrt{756} = 6\sqrt{21}.

The point equidistant from all four faces is the insphere center, and decomposing the tetrahedron into four pyramids over the faces gives V=13r4F.V = \frac{1}{3} r \cdot 4F. Hence r=3V4F=1602421=20321=202163,r = \frac{3V}{4F} = \frac{160}{24\sqrt{21}} = \frac{20}{3\sqrt{21}} = \frac{20\sqrt{21}}{63}, and m+n+p=20+21+63=104.m + n + p = 20 + 21 + 63 = 104.

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