Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /9 of 47

, 2013

Algebra Difficulty 2.1 Junior Prove it Canada

If 21x=7y\dfrac{21}{x}=\dfrac{7}{y} with x0x \neq 0 and y0y\neq 0, what is the value of xy\dfrac{x}{y}?

For which positive integer nn are both 1n+1<0.2013\dfrac{1}{n+1}<0.2013 and 0.2013<1n0.2013<\dfrac{1}{n} true?
In the diagram, HH is on side BCBC of ABC\triangle ABC so that AHAH is perpendicular to BCBC. Also, AB=10AB=10, AH=8AH=8, and the area of ABC\triangle ABC is 84. Determine the perimeter of ABC\triangle ABC.

Solution

Since 21x=7y\dfrac{21}{x}=\dfrac{7}{y}, then 21=7xy21 = \dfrac{7x}{y} or xy=217=3\dfrac{x}{y}=\dfrac{21}{7}=3.
Solution 1

Since 130.333314=0.2515=0.2160.1667\dfrac{1}{3} \approx 0.3333 \qquad \dfrac{1}{4} = 0.25 \qquad \dfrac{1}{5} = 0.2 \qquad \dfrac{1}{6} \approx 0.1667 then 15<0.2013\dfrac{1}{5} < 0.2013 and 0.2013<140.2013 < \dfrac{1}{4}, so nn must equal 4.

(We should note as well that 1n\dfrac{1}{n} decreases as nn increases, so this is the only integer value of nn that works.)

Solution 2

Since 1n+1<0.2013\dfrac{1}{n+1}<0.2013, then n+1>10.2013n+1 > \dfrac{1}{0.2013} or n>10.201313.9677n > \dfrac{1}{0.2013}-1 \approx 3.9677.

Since 1n>0.2013\dfrac{1}{n} > 0.2013, then n<10.20134.9677n < \dfrac{1}{0.2013} \approx 4.9677.

Since nn is a positive integer

that is smaller than a number that is approximately 4.9677, and
that is larger than a number that is approximately 3.9677,

then n=4n=4.
Since AHAH is perpendicular to BCBC, then the area of ABC\triangle ABC equals 12(BC)(AH)\frac{1}{2}(BC)(AH).

Since we are told that this area equals 84 and AH=8AH=8, then 84=12(BC)(8)84 = \frac{1}{2}(BC)(8) or 4BC=844\cdot BC = 84 or BC=21BC=21.

Also, since AHB\triangle AHB is right-angled at HH, then by the Pythagorean Theorem, BH=AB2AH2=10282=36=6BH = \sqrt{AB^2-AH^2}=\sqrt{10^2-8^2}=\sqrt{36}=6 since BH>0BH>0. (We could also have recognized two sides of a 6-8-10 right-angled triangle.)

Since BC=21BC=21 and BH=6BH=6, then HC=BCBH=216=15HC = BC-BH=21-6=15.

Since AHC\triangle AHC is right-angled at HH, then by the Pythagorean Theorem, AC=AH2+HC2=82+152=289=17AC = \sqrt{AH^2 + HC^2} = \sqrt{8^2+15^2}=\sqrt{289} = 17 since AC>0AC>0.

Finally, the perimeter of ABC\triangle ABC equals AB+BC+ACAB+BC+AC or 10+21+1710+21+17, which equals 48.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,444 problems in a working order, from Junior Challenge level to the IMO shortlist.

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