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Geometry Difficulty 4.7 AIME Find the answer Canada

Isosceles triangle PQRPQR has PQ=PRPQ=PR and QR=300QR=300.

Point SS is on PQPQ and TT is on PRPR so that STST is perpendicular to PRPR, ST=120ST=120, TR=271TR=271, and QS=221QS=221. The area of quadrilateral STRQSTRQ is

Pick one

Solution

We calculate the area of quadrilateral STRQSTRQ by subtracting the area of PTS\triangle PTS from the area of PQR\triangle PQR.

Let PT=xPT=x.

Then PR=PT+TR=x+271PR=PT+TR=x+271.

Since PQ=PR=x+271PQ=PR=x+271 and SQ=221SQ=221, then PS=PQSQ=(x+271)221=x+50PS = PQ - SQ = (x+271)-221=x+50.

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By the Pythagorean Theorem in PTS\triangle PTS, we have PT2+TS2=PS2x2+1202=(x+50)2x2+14400=x2+100x+250011900=100xx=119\begin{aligned} PT^2 + TS^2 & = PS^2 \\ x^2 + 120^2 & = (x+50)^2\\ x^2 + 14400 & = x^2 + 100x + 2500 \\ 11900 & = 100x \\ x & = 119\end{aligned} Therefore, PTS\triangle PTS has PT=x=119PT = x = 119, TS=120TS=120, and PS=x+50=169PS = x+50=169.

Since PTS\triangle PTS is right-angled at TT, then its area is 12(PT)(TS)=12(119)(120)=7140\frac{1}{2}(PT)(TS) = \frac{1}{2}(119)(120) = 7140.

Furthermore, in PQR\triangle PQR, we have PR=PQ=x+271=390PR = PQ = x+271 = 390.

Now, PQR\triangle PQR is isosceles, so when we draw a median PXPX from PP to the midpoint XX of QRQR, it is perpendicular to QRQR.

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Since XX is the midpoint of QRQR and QR=300QR = 300, then QX=12QR=150QX = \frac{1}{2}QR=150.

We can use the Pythagorean Theorem in PXQ\triangle PXQ to conclude that PX=PQ2QX2=39021502=21600=360PX = \sqrt{PQ^2-QX^2} = \sqrt{390^2-150^2} = \sqrt{21600} = 360 since PX>0PX>0.

Since PXPX is a height in PQR\triangle PQR, then the area of PQR\triangle PQR is 12(QR)(PX)=12(300)(360)=54000\frac{1}{2}(QR)(PX)=\frac{1}{2}(300)(360) = 54\,000.

Finally, the area of STRQSTRQ is the difference in the areas of these two triangles, or 54000714054\,000-7140, which equals 4686046\,860.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.