2017 AMC 10A Problem 17
Distinct points lie on the circle and have integer coordinates. The distances and are irrational numbers.
What is the greatest possible value of the ratio
Answer choices
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Solution
The integer-coordinate points on are , , , and .
For and to be irrational, the squared distance must not be a perfect square. To maximize the ratio, make as large as possible and as small as possible under that condition.
The largest possible irrational distance is between and , giving . The smallest possible irrational distance is between and , giving .
The greatest possible ratio is . Thus, D is the correct answer.