Perimeter = Area

Algebra Level 4

How many different rectangles with integer side lengths are there such that their perimeter and area have the same numerical value?

1 2 3 Infinitely many

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3 solutions

With the dimensions of the rectangle being x , y Z + x,y \in \mathbb{Z^{+}} we require that x y = 2 x + 2 y x y 2 x 2 y = 0 ( x 2 ) ( y 2 ) = 4 xy = 2x + 2y \Longrightarrow xy - 2x - 2y = 0 \Longrightarrow (x - 2)(y - 2) = 4 .

The possible (unordered) factorings of 4 4 to consider are 4 × 1 , 2 × 2 , 2 × 2 -4 \times -1, -2 \times -2, 2 \times 2 and 4 × 1 4 \times 1 , yielding respective solutions for ( x , y ) (x,y) of ( 2 , 1 ) , ( 0 , 0 ) , ( 4 , 4 ) (-2,1), (0,0), (4,4) and ( 6 , 3 ) (6,3) , only the latter 2 \boxed{2} representing suitable dimensions for a rectangle.

Naren Bhandari
Mar 8, 2018

Since area and perimeter of rectangle has to be equal of dimensions l l and b b . And let us assume that l b l \geq b then we can write as l = b + p l = b+ p where p 0 p\geq 0 . l b = 2 ( l + b ) b ( b + p ) = 2 b + 2 b + 2 p b 2 + ( p 4 ) b 2 p = 0 b = ( p 4 ) ± ( p 4 ) 2 4 ( 2 p ) 2 2 b = ( p 4 ) ± p 2 + 16 ( 1 ) \begin{aligned} & lb = 2(l+b) \\& b(b+p) = 2b + 2b +2p \\& b^2 +(p-4)b -2p =0 \\& b = \dfrac{-(p-4)\pm\sqrt{(p-4)^2 - 4(-2p)}}{2} \\& 2b = -(p-4)\pm{\color{#3D99F6}\sqrt{p^2 +16}}\cdots(1)\end{aligned} Shows that b Z + b\in\mathbb Z^{+} iff p 2 + 16 \sqrt{p^2+16} is perfect square which only possible for p = ± 3 p=\pm 3 and p = 0 p=0 respectively.

Replugging the possible values of p 3 p\neq -3 since p 0 p\geq 0 in the equation (1). The value turns out to be b = 3 b = 3 and b = 4 b=4 .

Therefore, the integer solution for rectangle for identical area and perimeter exist for ( l , b ) = ( 6 , 3 ) , ( 4 , 4 ) (l,b) = (6,3), (4,4) . So only 2 solutions exist.

James Wilson
Jan 5, 2021

I first set up the equation x y = 2 ( x + y ) xy=2(x+y) , where x x and y y must be integers. Then I realized one of x x or y y must be a multiple of 2 2 . So, I chose y = 2 k y=2k , where k k is an integer. 2 k x = 2 ( x + 2 k ) k x = x + 2 k x = 2 k k 1 = 2 + 2 k 1 \Rightarrow 2kx=2(x+2k) \Rightarrow kx = x+2k \Rightarrow x=\frac{2k}{k-1}=2+\frac{2}{k-1} . The only values of k k that make 2 k 1 \frac{2}{k-1} an integer are k = 2 , 3 k=2,3 . These values of k k then correspond to the two solutions ( x , y ) = ( 4 , 4 ) = ( 3 , 6 ) (x,y)=(4,4)=(3,6) .

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