His solution was chosen from the correct solutions sent in by Bradley students.  The other correct solutions were submitted by Kathleen Ervin, Matt Occhipinti, James Eckert, Ray Kremer, Mundia Mubyana, Nathan Pauli.  From outside the Bradley University community, correct solutions were submitted by Ariel Flat, Brian Laughlin, Tim Kelley, Burkart Venzke, Hemant Bhanoo, Bill Soudriette, Philippe Fondanaiche.

Connect the centers of the three circles with straight line segments.  This will form an equilateral triangle with side length 2r, r being the radius of each circle.  The area of the triangle is r²Ö3.  The triangle cuts from each circle a wedge equal to 1/6 of the total area of the circle.  The area inside the union of the circles and outside the triangle is therefore 5/2 the area of one circle.  The total area is

You are visitor number 3165 to this page.
Page last updated 3 April 2000.

ã2000 Alberto L. Delgado