2026 AIME I Problem 3

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Concepts:sphere3D geometrycircle areadifference of squares

Difficulty rating: 2180

3.

A hemisphere with radius 200200 sits on top of a horizontal circular disk with radius 200,200, and the hemisphere and disk have the same center. Let T\mathcal{T} be the region of points PP in the disk such that a sphere of radius 4242 can be placed on top of the disk at PP and lie completely inside the hemisphere. The area of T\mathcal{T} divided by the area of the disk is pq,\frac{p}{q}, where pp and qq are relatively prime positive integers. Find p+q.p + q.

Solution:

A sphere of radius 4242 resting on the disk at PP has its center 4242 directly above P.P. It lies inside the hemisphere of radius 200200 exactly when its center is within 20042=158200 - 42 = 158 of the common center O.O. If dd is the distance from OO to P,P, the center of the sphere is at distance d2+422\sqrt{d^2 + 42^2} from O,O, so the condition is d2+4221582.d^2 + 42^2 \le 158^2.

By difference of squares, d21582422=116200=23200.d^2 \le 158^2 - 42^2 = 116 \cdot 200 = 23200. Thus T\mathcal{T} is a disk of radius 23200,\sqrt{23200}, and the ratio of areas is 232002002=2320040000=2950.\frac{23200}{200^2} = \frac{23200}{40000} = \frac{29}{50}. Therefore p+q=29+50=79.p + q = 29 + 50 = 79.

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