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Geometry Difficulty 4.2 AIME Find the answer

What is the smallest possible perimeter of a triangle whose side lengths are all squares of distinct positive integers?

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

There exist a triangle with side lengths 42,52,624^{2}, 5^{2}, 6^{2}, which has perimeter 77. If the sides have lengths a2,b2,c2a^{2}, b^{2}, c^{2} with 0<a<b<c0<a<b<c, then a2+b2>c2a^{2}+b^{2}>c^{2} by the triangle inequality. Therefore (b1)2+b2a2+b2>c2(b+1)2(b-1)^{2}+b^{2} \geq a^{2}+b^{2}>c^{2} \geq(b+1)^{2}. Solving this inequality gives b>4b>4. If b6b \geq 6, then a2+b2+c262+72>77a^{2}+b^{2}+c^{2} \geq 6^{2}+7^{2}>77. If b=5b=5, then c7c \geq 7 is impossible, while c=6c=6 forces a=4a=4, which gives a perimeter of 77.

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Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.