Arun and Bella run around a circular track, starting from diametrically opposite points. Arun runs clockwise around the track and Bella runs counterclockwise. Arun and Bella run at constant, but different, speeds. They meet for the first time after Arun has run 100 m. They meet for the second time after Bella runs 150 m past their first meeting point. What is the length of the track? Determine all angles θ with 0°≤θ≤360° for which $41+cos3θ=22−cosθ⋅8cos2θ$.
Solution
We join B to E and A to D.
Since MC is tangent to the circles with centres A and B at D and E, respectively, then AD and BE are perpendicular to MC.
Since the radius of the circle with centre B is 3, then $AB = 3andBE =3$.
Since the radius of the circle with centre A is 4, then $AD = 4andAT = 4$.
Let CB=x and MT=y.
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We note that △CEB, △CDA and △CTM are all similar, since they are right-angled at E, D and T, respectively, and share a common angle at C.
Since △CEB and △CDA are similar, then CACB=ADBE and so x+3x=43 which gives 4x=3x+9 and so x=9.
By the Pythagorean Theorem, $CE = CB2 - BE^2} = 92 - 3^2} = 72=62$.
Since △CEB and △CTM are similar, then CEBE=CTMT and so $623=9+3+4ywhichgivesy = 16 3}{6 2=28=42$.
Finally, the area of $△ MNCisequalto21⋅MN⋅ CT$.
If we joined B to G, we would see that △CEB is congruent to △CGB (each is right-angled, they have a common hypotenuse, and $BE = BG).Thismeansthat∠ BCE = ∠ BCG,whichinturnmeansthatMT = TN$.
Since MT=TN, then MN=2⋅42=82 and so the area of △MNC is $21⋅82⋅ 16or642$. First, we note that log3z=log103log10z=2log1032log10z=log10(32)log10(z2)=log109log10(z2)=log9(z2) Similarly, log4y=log16(y2) and log5x=log25(x2).
We also note from the original system of equations that x>0 and y>0 and z>0.
Therefore, we can re-write the original system of equations as log9x+log9y+log9(z2)log16x+log16(y2)+log16zlog25(x2)+log25y+log25z=2=1=0 Using logarithm rules, this is equivalent to the system log9(xyz2)log16(xy2z)log25(x2yz)=2=1=0 and to the system xyz2xy2zx2yz=92=81=161=16=250=1 Multiplying these three equations together, we obtain $x^4 y^4 z^4 = 1296andso(xyz)^4 = 6^4$.
Thus, xyz=6.
Since xyz2=81 and xyz=6, then $z = xyzxyz2=681=227$.
We can check by substitution that this triple does satisfy the original system of equations.
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