2023 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 4
Problem
The numbers from 
to 
are arranged in a spiral pattern on a square grid, beginning at the center. The first few numbers have been entered into the grid below. Consider the four numbers that will appear in the shaded squares, on the same diagonal as the number 
How many of these four numbers are prime?
![[asy] /* Made by MRENTHUSIASM */ size(175); void ds(pair p) { filldraw((0.5,0.5)+p--(-0.5,0.5)+p--(-0.5,-0.5)+p--(0.5,-0.5)+p--cycle,mediumgrey); } ds((0.5,4.5)); ds((1.5,3.5)); ds((3.5,1.5)); ds((4.5,0.5)); add(grid(7,7,grey+linewidth(1.25))); int adj = 1; int curUp = 2; int curLeft = 4; int curDown = 6; label("$1$",(3.5,3.5)); for (int len = 3; len<=3; len+=2) { for (int i=1; i<=len-1; ++i) { label("$"+string(curUp)+"$",(3.5+adj,3.5-adj+i)); label("$"+string(curLeft)+"$",(3.5+adj-i,3.5+adj)); label("$"+string(curDown)+"$",(3.5-adj,3.5+adj-i)); ++curDown; ++curLeft; ++curUp; } ++adj; curUp = len^2 + 1; curLeft = len^2 + len + 2; curDown = len^2 + 2*len + 3; } draw((4,4)--(3,4)--(3,3)--(5,3)--(5,5)--(2,5)--(2,2)--(6,2)--(6,6)--(1,6)--(1,1)--(7,1)--(7,7)--(0,7)--(0,0)--(7,0),linewidth(2)); [/asy]](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/6/e/8/6e88180afd53a16ea3b9e0389e44933a31876e70.png)
Solution
We fill out the grid, as shown below:
![[asy] /* Made by MRENTHUSIASM */ size(175); void ds(pair p) { filldraw((0.5,0.5)+p--(-0.5,0.5)+p--(-0.5,-0.5)+p--(0.5,-0.5)+p--cycle,mediumgrey); } ds((0.5,4.5)); ds((1.5,3.5)); ds((3.5,1.5)); ds((4.5,0.5)); add(grid(7,7,grey+linewidth(1.25))); int adj = 1; int curUp = 2; int curLeft = 4; int curDown = 6; int curRight = 8; label("$1$",(3.5,3.5)); for (int len = 3; len<=7; len+=2) { for (int i=1; i<=len-1; ++i) { label("$"+string(curUp)+"$",(3.5+adj,3.5-adj+i)); label("$"+string(curLeft)+"$",(3.5+adj-i,3.5+adj)); label("$"+string(curDown)+"$",(3.5-adj,3.5+adj-i)); label("$"+string(curRight)+"$",(3.5-adj+i,3.5-adj)); ++curDown; ++curLeft; ++curUp; ++curRight; } ++adj; curUp = len^2 + 1; curLeft = len^2 + len + 2; curDown = len^2 + 2*len + 3; curRight = len^2 + 3*len + 4; } draw((4,4)--(3,4)--(3,3)--(5,3)--(5,5)--(2,5)--(2,2)--(6,2)--(6,6)--(1,6)--(1,1)--(7,1)--(7,7)--(0,7)--(0,0)--(7,0),linewidth(2)); [/asy]](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/6/e/c/6ec6820e4734959c2e1ea32455e6e37e6ee38967.png)
From the numbers that appear in the shaded squares, 
of them are prime: 
and 
~MathFun1000, MRENTHUSIASM
Video Solution by Magic Square
https://youtu.be/-N46BeEKaCQ?t=5392
See Also
| 2023 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
| Preceded by Problem 3 |
Followed by Problem 5 | |
| 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 | ||
| All AJHSME/AMC 8 Problems and Solutions | ||
The problems on this page are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competitions. 
