← Pattern Anatomy

Pattern Anatomy

Each pattern, deconstructed.

lattice-grid-pattern-extrapolation

Rank 9/19 2.2% of all AMC problems Grade 6–6

The literal scale of the problem (thousands by thousands grid, etc.) makes brute enumeration impossible, but the underlying rule is local. Solve the smallest cases by hand on graph paper, look for a pattern (often involving gcd, lcm, or a sum of dimensions), and generalize to the stated size.

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27-year frequency
1999–2026 ↑ 50%
2026 forecast slots

How to solve

Primary tools find-patternssee-drawtry-it
What to look for
  • Change (delta_x, delta_y) from (3000, 5000) to (4000, 6000) — gcd shifts from 1000 to 2000, formula stays the same
  • Apply the same dx + dy - gcd pattern to a 'cubes pierced by a diagonal in 3D' variant for harder problems
  • Phrase as a 'rectangle cut by a diagonal' problem instead of a segment on graph paper

Sub-archetype mix (5)

Click a row to see member problems.

More data (year-over-year, tool fingerprint, grade distribution, all members)
20
members
1999–2026
Active years
Year-over-year

Tool fingerprint (1–17)

Grade distribution

  • Gr 4
    10
  • Gr 5
    2
  • Gr 6
    4
  • Gr 8
    3