Skip to main content

2015 AMC 10A Problem 20

Problem 20 of 25HarderAlgebraGeometry

A rectangle with positive integer side lengths in cm\mathrm{cm} has area AA cm2\mathrm{cm}^2 and perimeter PP cm.\mathrm{cm}. Which of the following numbers cannot equal A+P?A+P?

Answer choices

Show solution

Solution

Let the side lengths be positive integers xx and yy. Then A+P=xy+2x+2y=(x+2)(y+2)4. \begin{aligned} &A+P=xy+2x+2y \\ &=(x+2)(y+2)-4. \end{aligned} Hence A+P+4A+P+4 must factor into two integers both at least 33. The answer choices plus 44 are 104,106,108,110,112104,106,108,110,112. All except 106106 have a factorization with both factors at least 33: 104=426,104=4\cdot26, 108=912,108=9\cdot12, 110=1011,110=10\cdot11, 112=716.112=7\cdot16. But 106=253106=2\cdot53, so it cannot equal (x+2)(y+2)(x+2)(y+2). Thus, B is the correct answer.

More practice

Concepts: area · perimeter · Simon’s Favorite Factoring Trick

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.