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2011 AMC 10A Problem 25

Problem 25 of 25HarderGeometryCounting & Probability

Let RR be a square region and n4n \geq 4 an integer. A point XX in the interior of RR is called nn-ray partitional if there are nn rays emanating from XX that divide RR into nn triangles of equal area. How many points are 100100-ray partitional but not 6060-ray partitional?

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Solution

Scale the square to have side length 1,1, and write X=(u,v),X=(u,v), where uu and vv are its distances from the left and bottom sides. Every corner must be joined to XX; otherwise one of the regions containing that corner would not be a triangle. Each of the nn triangles has area 1n.\frac{1}{n}. A triangle whose base lies on the bottom side has height v,v, so its base has length 2nv.\frac{2}{nv}. Therefore the number of triangles along the bottom side is nv2,\frac{nv}{2}, which must be a positive integer. Applying the same argument to all four sides shows that nu2,n(1u)2,nv2,n(1v)2\begin{gathered} \dfrac{nu}{2},\quad\dfrac{n(1-u)}{2},\\ \dfrac{nv}{2},\quad\dfrac{n(1-v)}{2} \end{gathered} are positive integers. Conversely, whenever these four numbers are integers, subdividing each side into the indicated number of equal bases and joining the division points to XX produces the required triangles. For n=100,n=100, this says u=i50u=\frac{i}{50} and v=j50v=\frac{j}{50} for i,j{1,2,,49}.i,j\in\{1,2,\ldots,49\}. Hence the 100100-ray points form a 49×4949\times49 grid. Similarly, the 6060-ray points have coordinates u=i30u=\frac{i}{30} and v=j30v=\frac{j}{30} with i,j{1,2,,29}.i,j\in\{1,2,\ldots,29\}. A coordinate belongs to both grids exactly when i50=j30,\frac{i}{50}=\frac{j}{30}, or 3i=5j.3i=5j. Thus the common coordinates are 110,210,,910,\frac{1}{10},\frac{2}{10},\ldots,\frac{9}{10}, giving a 9×99\times9 overlap. The requested number is 49292=240181=2320.49^2-9^2=2401-81=2320. Thus, C is the correct answer.

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Concepts: area decomposition · lattice point · inclusion-exclusion

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