2010 AMC 12B Problem 17

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 17 of the 2010 AMC 12B, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2010 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:arrangements with restrictionscasework

Difficulty rating: 1980

17.

The entries in a 3×33\times3 array include all the digits from 11 through 9,9, arranged so that the entries in every row and column are in increasing order. How many such arrays are there?

1818

2424

3636

4242

6060

Solution:

Write aija_{ij} for the entry in row i,i, column j.j. The conditions force a11=1,a_{11}=1, a33=9,a_{33}=9, and a22{4,5,6}.a_{22}\in\{4,5,6\}.

If a22=4,a_{22}=4, then {a12,a21}={2,3}\{a_{12},a_{21}\}=\{2,3\} and {5,6,7,8}\{5,6,7,8\} split as complementary pairs filling the rest of the last row and column: (42)=6\binom42=6 splits times 22 orders for {2,3}\{2,3\} gives 1212 arrays. By symmetry a22=6a_{22}=6 also gives 12.12.

If a22=5,a_{22}=5, then {a12,a13,a23}\{a_{12},a_{13},a_{23}\} and {a21,a31,a32}\{a_{21},a_{31},a_{32}\} are complementary subsets of {2,3,4,6,7,8}\{2,3,4,6,7,8\} subject to the ordering constraints, forcing the first set to be {2,3,4}\{2,3,4\} or {6,7,8};\{6,7,8\}; this gives (63)2=18\binom63-2=18 arrays.

Altogether 12+12+18=42.12+12+18=42.

Thus, the correct answer is D.

Problem 17 in Other Years