Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2018

Algebra Difficulty 4.1 AIME Prove it Canada

A line has equation y=2x6y=2x-6. What is its xx-intercept and what is its yy-intercept?
A line has equation y=kx6y = kx - 6, where k0k\neq 0. What is its xx-intercept? Express your answer in terms of kk.
A triangle is formed by the positive xx-axis, the negative yy-axis, and the line with equation y=kx6y=kx-6, where k>0k >0. The area of this triangle is 6. What is the value of kk?
A triangle is formed by the positive xx-axis, the line with equation y=mxm2y=mx-m^2, and the line with equation y=2mxm2y=2mx-m^2. Determine all values of m>0m>0 for which the area of the triangle is 54125\frac{54}{125}.

Solution

We determine the xx-intercept by letting y=0y=0 in the equation y=2x6y=2x-6 and solving for xx.

Thus, 0=2x60=2x-6 and so 2x=62x=6 or x=3x=3.

The xx-intercept of the line with equation y=2x6y=2x-6 is 3.

We determine the yy-intercept by letting x=0x=0 in the equation y=2x6y=2x-6 and solving for yy.

Thus, y=2(0)6y=2(0)-6 and so y=6y=-6.

The yy-intercept of the line with equation y=2x6y=2x-6 is 6-6.
Letting y=0y=0, we get 0=kx60=kx-6 or kx=6kx=6 and so x=6kx=\dfrac{6}{k}, where k0k\neq0.

The line with equation y=kx6y=kx-6 has xx-intercept 6k\dfrac{6}{k} (k0k\neq0).

From part (b), the line with equation y=kx6y=kx-6 has xx-intercept 6k\dfrac{6}{k}.

Since k>0k>0, then 6k>0\dfrac{6}{k}>0 and so the line intersects the positive xx-axis.

The yy-intercept of the line with equation y=kx6y=kx-6 is 6-6.

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The triangle formed by the line with equation y=kx6y=kx-6 (k>0k>0), the positive xx-axis, and the negative yy-axis, has area 12(6k)(6)=362k=18k\dfrac12\left(\dfrac6k\right)(6)=\dfrac{36}{2k}=\dfrac{18}{k} (the yy-intercept is 6-6, and so the triangle has height 66).

Since the area of this triangle is 6, then 18k=6\dfrac{18}{k}=6 or 18=6k18=6k and so k=3k=3.
The xx-intercept of the line with equation y=2mxm2y=2mx-m^2 is determined by letting y=0y=0 and solving for xx.

Thus, 0=2mxm20=2mx-m^2 or 0=m(2xm)0=m(2x-m) and since m>0m>0, then 2x=m2x=m or x=m2x=\dfrac{m}{2}.

The xx-intercept of this line is m2\dfrac{m}{2} (m>0m>0).

The yy-intercept of the line with equation y=2mxm2y=2mx-m^2 is 2m(0)m2=m22m(0)-m^2=-m^2.

Similarly, the xx-intercept of the line with equation y=mxm2y=mx-m^2 is given by 0=mxm20=mx-m^2 or 0=m(xm)0=m(x-m) and since m>0m>0, then x=mx=m.

The xx-intercept of this line is mm (m>0m>0).

The yy-intercept of the line with equation y=mxm2y=mx-m^2 is m(0)m2=m2m(0)-m^2=-m^2.

Thus, both lines have the same yy-intercept.

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To determine the area of the triangle formed by the positive xx-axis, the line with equation y=mxm2y=mx-m^2, and the line with equation y=2mxm2y=2mx-m^2 (m>0m>0), we may let the length of the base be the distance between the xx-intercepts or mm2=m2m-\dfrac{m}{2}=\dfrac{m}{2}.

Then the height of this triangle is the perpendicular distance from the xx-axis to the yy-intercept, or m2m^2 (the yy-intercept is m2-m^2, and so the triangle has height m2m^2, a positive number).

Therefore, the triangle has area 12(m2)(m2)=m34\dfrac12\left(\dfrac{m}{2}\right)(m^2)=\dfrac{m^3}{4}.

The area of this triangle is 54125\dfrac{54}{125} and so m34=54125\dfrac{m^3}{4}=\dfrac{54}{125} or m3=216125m^3=\dfrac{216}{125} and so m=2161253=65m=\sqrt[3]{\dfrac{216}{125}}=\dfrac{6}{5}.

(Note that (65)3=216125\left(\dfrac{6}{5}\right)^3=\dfrac{216}{125}.)

The only value of mm for which the triangle has area 54125\dfrac{54}{125} is m=65m=\dfrac65.

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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.