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2009 AMC 12B Problem 23

Problem 23 of 25HarderAlgebraGeometryProbability & Statistics

A region SS in the complex plane is defined by S={x+iy:−1≤x≤1, −1≤y≤1}. \scriptsize S = \{x + iy : -1 \le x \le 1,\ -1 \le y \le 1\}. A complex number z=x+iyz = x + iy is chosen uniformly at random from S.S. What is the probability that (34+34i)z\left(\dfrac{3}{4} + \dfrac{3}{4}i\right)z is also in S?S?

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Solution

Expanding, (34+34i)(x+iy)\left(\dfrac{3}{4} + \dfrac{3}{4}i\right)(x + iy) =34(x−y)= \dfrac{3}{4}(x - y) +34(x+y)i.+ \dfrac{3}{4}(x + y)i. Both parts lie in [−1,1][-1, 1] iff ∣x−y∣≤43|x - y| \le \dfrac{4}{3} and ∣x+y∣≤43.|x + y| \le \dfrac{4}{3}. Within the square SS (area 44) these fail only in four corner triangles. Near (1,1),(1, 1), the line x+y=43x + y = \dfrac{4}{3} cuts off a right triangle with legs 23,\dfrac{2}{3}, area 12⋅23⋅23=29.\dfrac{1}{2} \cdot \dfrac{2}{3} \cdot \dfrac{2}{3} = \dfrac{2}{9}. The four corners remove 4⋅29=89,4 \cdot \dfrac{2}{9} = \dfrac{8}{9}, leaving 4−89=289.4 - \dfrac{8}{9} = \dfrac{28}{9}. The probability is 2894=79.\dfrac{\frac{28}{9}}{4} = \dfrac{7}{9}. Thus, the correct answer is D.
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Tagged: complex number · geometric probability · area

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