1968 AMC 12 Problem 30

Attempt Problem 30 of the 1968 AMC 12 below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1968 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

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30.

Convex polygons P1P_1 and P2P_2 are drawn in the same plane with n1n_1 and n2n_2 sides, respectively, n1≤n2.n_1\leq n_2. If P1P_1 and P2P_2 do not have any line segment in common, then the maximum number of intersections of P1P_1 and P2P_2 is:
2n12n_1
2n22n_2
n1n2n_1n_2
n1+n2n_1+n_2
none of these
Answer: A
Concepts:counting intersectionsextremal argument
Small hint:
A line segment can enter and leave a convex polygon at most once
Big hint:
Apply that bound to each side of the polygon with fewer sides
Solution:
Each side of P1P_1 lies on a line, and its intersection with the convex region P2P_2 is a single segment or empty. Thus that side crosses the boundary of P2P_2 at most twice. Across n1n_1 sides there are at most 2n1,2n_1, and a suitable thin convex n1n_1-gon crossing a convex n2n_2-gon attains this bound.
Therefore, the correct answer is A.
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