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2005 AMC 12A Problem 25

Problem 25 of 25HarderGeometryProblem-Solving Techniques

Let SS be the set of all points with coordinates (x,y,z),(x, y, z), where x,x, y,y, and zz are each chosen from the set {0,1,2}.\{0, 1, 2\}. How many equilateral triangles have all their vertices in S?S?

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Solution

The three equal sides of such a triangle must all have the same length. Checking the possible squared lengths in the 3×3×33 \times 3 \times 3 grid, only three families of side occur. Face diagonals of a unit cube (length 2\sqrt2): each of the 88 unit cubes contributes 88 triangles, one at each corner, for 8⋅8=64.8 \cdot 8 = 64. Face diagonals of the 2×2×22 \times 2 \times 2 cube (length 222\sqrt2): the three faces meeting at a vertex form one triangle, giving 88 triangles. Edge-midpoint segments (length 6,\sqrt6, joining midpoints of two edges): each of the 1212 edge midpoints is a vertex of two such triangles, for 12⋅23=8.\dfrac{12 \cdot 2}{3} = 8. The total is 64+8+8=80.64 + 8 + 8 = 80. Thus, the correct answer is C.
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