Skip to main content

2016 AMC 12B Problem 18

Problem 18 of 25IntermediateAlgebraGeometry

What is the area of the region enclosed by the graph of the equation x2+y2=x+y?x^2+y^2=|x|+|y|?

Answer choices

Show solution

Solution

By symmetry, consider the first quadrant, where the equation is x2+y2=x+y,x^2+y^2=x+y, or (x12)2+(y12)2=12.\left(x-\tfrac12\right)^2+\left(y-\tfrac12\right)^2=\tfrac12. This is a circle centered at (12,12)\left(\tfrac12,\tfrac12\right) passing through (1,0)(1,0) and (0,1);(0,1); since the center is the midpoint of that chord, the enclosed first-quadrant region is the right triangle with legs to (1,0)(1,0) and (0,1)(0,1) (area 12\tfrac12) plus a semicircle of radius 22\dfrac{\sqrt2}{2} (area π4\dfrac\pi4). Multiplying by 44 for all quadrants gives 4(12+π4)=π+2.4\left(\tfrac12+\tfrac\pi4\right)=\pi+2. Thus, the correct answer is B.

More practice

Concepts: completing the square · symmetry · circle area

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