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2013 AMC 12A Problem 24

Problem 24 of 25HarderGeometryCombinatorics

Three distinct segments are chosen at random among the segments whose endpoints are the vertices of a regular 1212-gon. What is the probability that the lengths of these three segments are the three side lengths of a triangle with positive area?

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Solution

Inscribe the 1212-gon in a unit circle. The segment lengths are dk=2sin⁡(15k∘)d_k = 2\sin(15k^\circ) for 1≤k≤6,1 \le k \le 6, with 1212 segments of each length d1,…,d5d_1, \ldots, d_5 and 66 of length d6.d_6. Comparing sums, the forbidden index triples (a,b,c)(a, b, c) with da≤db≤dcd_a \le d_b \le d_c and dc≥da+dbd_c \ge d_a + d_b are (1,1,3),(1,1,4),(1,1,5),(1,1,6),(1,2,4),(1,2,5),(1,2,6),(1,3,5),(1,3,6),(2,2,6). \begin{gathered} (1,1,3),(1,1,4),(1,1,5), \\ (1,1,6),(1,2,4),(1,2,5), \\ (1,2,6),(1,3,5),(1,3,6), \\ (2,2,6). \end{gathered} The first three triples ending in 3,4,53,4,5 contribute 3(122)12;3\binom{12}{2}12; the two repeated-length triples ending in 66 contribute 2(122)6;2\binom{12}{2}6; the three triples of distinct non-diameter lengths contribute 3⋅123;3\cdot12^3; and the two remaining diameter triples contribute 2⋅122⋅6.2\cdot12^2\cdot6. Dividing their sum by (663)\binom{66}{3} gives failure probability 63286,\frac{63}{286}, so the answer is 1−63286=223286.1-\frac{63}{286}=\frac{223}{286}. Thus, the correct answer is E.
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Tagged: regular polygon · triangle inequality · complementary counting

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