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2024 AMC 12A Problem 25

Problem 25 of 25HarderAlgebraProblem-Solving Techniques

A graph is symmetric about a line if the graph remains unchanged after reflection in that line. For how many quadruples of integers (a,b,c,d),(a,b,c,d), where ∣a∣,|a|, ∣b∣,|b|, ∣c∣,|c|, ∣d∣≤5|d|\le5 and cc and dd are not both 0,0, is the graph of y=ax+bcx+d y=\frac{ax+b}{cx+d} symmetric about the line y=x?y=x?

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Solution

Reflecting the graph of y=f(x)y=f(x) over y=xy=x produces the graph of its inverse, so the graph is symmetric about y=xy=x exactly when ff equals its own inverse. For f(x)=ax+bcx+df(x)=\tfrac{ax+b}{cx+d} this happens in two ways: when a+d=0a+d=0 with ad−bc≠0ad-bc\ne0 (a genuine involution, including the slope−1-1 lines when c=0c=0), or when ff is the identity y=xy=x (b=c=0, a=d≠0b=c=0,\ a=d\ne0). For a+d=0,a+d=0, set d=−a;d=-a; the determinant −a2−bc-a^2-bc must be nonzero, so we need a2+bc≠0,a^2+bc\ne0, together with (c,d)≠(0,0).(c,d)\ne(0,0). When a=0,a=0, both bb and cc must be nonzero, giving 102=10010^2=100 choices. For each nonzero a,a, start with 112=12111^2=121 choices of (b,c).(b,c). If ∣a∣=1,3,4,|a|=1,3,4, or 5,5, exactly 22 pairs satisfy bc=−a2;bc=-a^2; if ∣a∣=2,|a|=2, exactly 66 pairs do. Thus the genuine involutions number 100+8(121−2)+2(121−6)=1282. \begin{gathered} 100+8(121-2)+2(121-6)\\ {}=1282. \end{gathered} The identity case adds 1010 more (a=d∈{±1,…,±5}a=d\in\{\pm1,\ldots,\pm5\}), for a total of 1282+10=1292.1282+10=1292. Thus, the correct answer is B.
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