Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2023

Geometry Difficulty 4.1 AIME Prove it Canada

IMG0 The shaded triangle shown is bounded by
the xx-axis, the line y=xy=x, and the line x=ax=a, where a>0a>0.Figure 1If the area of this triangle is 32, what is the value of aa?Figure 2 A triangle is bounded by the xx-axis, the line y=2xy=2x, and the line x=10x=10. Diego draws the vertical line x=4x=4. This line divides the original triangle into a trapezoid, which is shaded, and a new unshaded triangle, as shown.Figure 3What is the area of the shaded trapezoid?Figure 4 A triangle is bounded by the xx-axis, the line y=3xy=3x, and the line x=21x=21. Alicia draws the vertical line x=cx=c, where 0<c<210<c<21. This line divides the original triangle into a trapezoid and a new triangle. If the area of the trapezoid is 8 times the area of the new triangle, determine the value of cc.Figure 5 A triangle is bounded by the xx-axis, the line y=4xy=4x, and the line x=1x=1. Ahmed draws his first vertical line at x=px=p, where 0<p<10<p<1. This line divides the area of the original triangle in half. Ahmed then draws a second vertical line at x=qx=q, where 0<q<p0<q<p. This line divides the area of the triangle bounded by the xx-axis, the line y=4xy=4x, and the line x=px=p in half. Ahmed continues this process of drawing vertical lines at decreasing values of xx so that each such line divides the area of the previous triangle in half. If the 12th vertical line that he draws is at x=kx=k, determine the value of kk.

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The line x=ax=a intersects the line y=xy=x at the point (a,a)(a,a). Thus, the length of the base and the height of the triangle are each equal to aa, and so the area of the triangle is $12×a×\$\dfrac12\times a\times
a.Solving. Solving 12\dfrac12 a^2=32,weget, we get a^2=64,andso, and so a=8(since (since a>0).Solution1Theline). Solution 1 The line x=10intersectstheline intersects the line y=2xatthepoint at the point (10,20).Theline. The line x=4intersectstheline intersects the line y=2xatthepoint at the point (4,8). Thus, the trapezoid has parallel sides of length 20 and 8, and the distance between the parallel sides is

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Figure for this problem10-4=6. The area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problem62(20+8)=3(28)\dfrac{6}{2}(20+8)=3(28) which is equal to 84. Solution 2 If the area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problemT, the area of the new unshaded triangle is

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Figure for this problemA,then, then T=A-B.Theline. The line x=4intersectstheline intersects the line y=2xatthepoint at the point (4,8). Thus, the unshaded triangle has base length 4 and height 8, and so

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Figure for this problemB=12×4×B=\dfrac12\times 4\times 8=16.Theline. The line x=10intersectstheline intersects the line y=2xatthepoint at the point (10,20). Thus, the original triangle has base length 10 and height 20, and so

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Figure for this problemA=12×10×A=\dfrac12\times 10\times
20=100. The area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problemT=A-Bor or T=100-16 which is 84. Solution 1 We begin by determining the area of the trapezoid. The line

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Figure for this problemx=21intersectstheline intersects the line y=3xatthepoint at the point (21,63).Theline. The line x=cintersectstheline intersects the line y=3xatthepoint at the point (c,3c). Thus, the trapezoid has parallel sides of length 63 and

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Figure for this problem3c, and the distance between the parallel sides is

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Figure for this problem21-c(since (since 0<c<21). The area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problem21c2(63+3c)\dfrac{21-c}{2}(63+3c). Next, we determine the area of the new triangle. If the length of its base is

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Figure for this problemc,thenitsheightis, then its height is 3c, and so the area of the new triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×c×3c=12×\dfrac12\times c\times 3c=\dfrac12\times 3c^2. The area of the trapezoid is 8 times the area of the new triangle. Solving, we get

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Figure for this problem21-c 2 (63+3c) =8 12 3c 2 (21-c)(63+3c) =8 3c 2 (21-c)(21+c) =8 c 2 441-c 2 =8c 2 441 =9c 2 c 2 =49\text{21-c 2 (63+3c) =8 12 3c 2 (21-c)(63+3c) =8 3c 2 (21-c)(21+c) =8 c 2 441-c 2 =8c 2 441 =9c 2 c 2 =49}andso and so c=7(since (since c>0). Solution 2 If the area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problemT, the area of the new triangle is

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Figure for this problemB, and the area of the original triangle is

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Figure for this problemA,then, then T=A-B. The area of the trapezoid is 8 times the area of the new triangle, or

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Figure for this problemT=8B.Substituting,weget. Substituting, we get 8B=A-Bor or 9B=A.Theline. The line x=21intersectstheline intersects the line y=3xatthepoint at the point (21,63).Thus,. Thus, A=12×21×63=13232A=\dfrac12\times 21\times 63=\dfrac{1323}{2}.Theline. The line x=cintersectstheline intersects the line y=3xatthepoint at the point (c,3c).Thus,. Thus, B=12×c×3c=3c22B=\dfrac12\times c\times 3c=\dfrac{3c^2}{2}.Substitutinginto. Substituting into 9B=Aandsolving,weget and solving, we get 9 3c 2 2 = 1323 2 27c 2 =1323 c 2 =49\text{9 3c 2 2 = 1323 2 27c 2 =1323 c 2 =49}andso and so c=7(since (since c>0). Solution 1 As was shown in parts (b) and (c), the vertical line drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=p divides the original triangle into a trapezoid and a new triangle. We begin by determining the area of the trapezoid. The line

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Figure for this problemx=1intersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (1,4).Theline. The line x=pintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (p,4p). Thus, the trapezoid has parallel sides of length 4 and

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Figure for this problem4p, and the distance between the parallel sides is

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Figure for this problem1-p(since (since 0<p<1). The area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problem1p2(4+4p)\dfrac{1-p}{2}(4+4p). Next, we determine the area of the new triangle. If the length of its base is

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Figure for this problemp,thenitsheightis, then its height is 4p, and so the area of the new triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×p×4p=12×\dfrac12\times p\times 4p=\dfrac12\times 4p^2.Theline. The line x=p divides the area of the original triangle in half, and so the area of the trapezoid is equal to the area of the new triangle. Solving, we get

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Figure for this problem1-p 2 (4+4p) = 12 4p 2 (1-p)(4+4p) =4p 2 (1-p)(1+p) =p 2 1-p 2 =p 2 1 =2p 2 p 2 = 12\text{1-p 2 (4+4p) = 12 4p 2 (1-p)(4+4p) =4p 2 (1-p)(1+p) =p 2 1-p 2 =p 2 1 =2p 2 p 2 = 12}andso and so p=12p=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(since (since p>0). Ahmed repeats the process by drawing a second vertical line at

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Figure for this problemx=q,where, where 0<q<p.Wewishtodeterminethevalueof. We wish to determine the value of qintermsof in terms of p, so that we may use this relationship to determine the position of the 12th vertical line (without needing to repeat these calculations 12 times). That is, we will repeat the above process without substituting

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Figure for this problemp=12p=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} so that we may determine the value of

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Figure for this problemqintermsof in terms of p. The vertical line drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=q divides the triangle bounded by the

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Figure for this problemxaxis,theline-axis, the line y=4x,andtheline, and the line x=p into a new trapezoid and a new triangle. We begin by determining the area of the trapezoid. The line

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Figure for this problemx=pintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (p,4p).Theline. The line x=qintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (q,4q). Thus, the trapezoid has parallel sides of length

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Figure for this problem4pand and 4q, and the distance between the parallel sides is

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Figure for this problemp-q(since (since 0<q<p). The area of the trapezoid is

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Figure for this problempq2(4p+4q)\dfrac{p-q}{2}(4p+4q). Next, we determine the area of the triangle. If the length of its base is

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Figure for this problemq,thenitsheightis, then its height is 4q, and so the area of the triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×q×4q=12×\dfrac12\times q\times 4q=\dfrac12\times 4q^2.Theline. The line x=q divides the area of the previous triangle in half, and so the area of the trapezoid is equal to the area of the new triangle. Solving, we get

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Figure for this problemp-q 2 (4p+4q) = 12 4q 2 (p-q)(4p+4q) =4q 2 (p-q)(p+q) =q 2 p 2-q 2 =q 2 p 2 =2q 2 q 2 = 12 p 2\text{p-q 2 (4p+4q) = 12 4q 2 (p-q)(4p+4q) =4q 2 (p-q)(p+q) =q 2 p 2-q 2 =q 2 p 2 =2q 2 q 2 = 12 p 2}andso and so q=12×q=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\times p(since (since q>0). This tells us that if Ahmed draws a vertical line at

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Figure for this problemx=n(where (where n>0and and nislessthanthe is less than the x-intercept of the vertical line previously drawn), then the next vertical line is drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=12×x=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\times n (since the process repeats). Since the original vertical line is at

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Figure for this problemx=1, then the 12th vertical line drawn by Ahmed is at

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Figure for this problemx=1×(12)12x=1\times\left(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)^{12}or or x=((12)2) ⁣ ⁣6x=\left(\left(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)^{2}\right)^{\!\!6}or or x=(12)6x=\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^{6},andso, and so k=164k=\dfrac{1}{64}. Solution 2 As was shown in parts (b) and (c), the vertical line drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=p divides the original triangle into a trapezoid and a new triangle. The line

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Figure for this problemx=1intersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (1,4), and so the area of the original triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×1×\dfrac12\times 1\times
4=2.Theline. The line x=pintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (p,4p), and so the area of the new triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×p×\dfrac12\times p\times
4p=2p^2. The area of the new triangle is half of the area of the original triangle, and so

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Figure for this problem2p^2=1or or p2=12p^2=\dfrac{1}{2},andso, and so p=12p=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(since (since p>0). Ahmed repeats the process by drawing a second vertical line at

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Figure for this problemx=q,where, where 0<q<p.Wewishtodeterminethevalueof. We wish to determine the value of qintermsof in terms of p, so that we may use this relationship to determine the position of the 12th vertical line (without needing to repeat these calculations 12 times). That is, we will repeat the above process without substituting

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Figure for this problemp=12p=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} so that we may determine the value of

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Figure for this problemqintermsof in terms of p. The vertical line drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=q divides the triangle bounded by the

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Figure for this problemxaxis,theline-axis, the line y=4x,andtheline, and the line x=p into a new trapezoid and a new triangle. As was determined above, the triangle bounded by the

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Figure for this problemxaxis,theline-axis, the line y=4x,andtheline, and the line x=phasarea has area 2p^2.Theline. The line x=qintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (q,4q), and so the area of the new triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×q×\dfrac12\times q\times
4q=2q^2. The area of the new triangle is half of the area of the previous triangle, and so

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Figure for this problem2q2=2p222q^2=\dfrac{2p^2}{2}or or q2=12×q^2=\dfrac12\times p^2,andso, and so q=12×q=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\times p(since (since q>0). This tells us that if Ahmed draws a vertical line at

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Figure for this problemx=n(where (where n>0and and nislessthanthe is less than the x-intercept of the vertical line previously drawn), then the next vertical line is drawn at

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Figure for this problemx=12×x=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\times n (since the process repeats). Since the original vertical line is at

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Figure for this problemx=1, then the 12th vertical line drawn by Ahmed is at

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Figure for this problemx=1×(12) ⁣ ⁣12x=1\times\left(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)^{\!\!12}or or x=((12) ⁣ ⁣2) ⁣ ⁣6x=\left(\left(\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)^{\!\!2}\right)^{\!\!6}or or x=(12) ⁣ ⁣6x=\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^{\!\!6},andso, and so k=164k=\dfrac{1}{64}. Solution 3 Ahmed draws the 12th vertical line at

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Figure for this problemx=k.Theline. The line x=kintersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (k,4k), and so the area of the new triangle to the left of this line is

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Figure for this problem12×k×\dfrac12\times k\times 4k=2k^2. Since the area of each new triangle is half of the area of the previous triangle, then the triangle with area

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Figure for this problem2k^2has has (12) ⁣ ⁣12\left(\dfrac12\right)^{\!\!12} of the area of the original triangle. The line

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Figure for this problemx=1intersectstheline intersects the line y=4xatthepoint at the point (1,4), and so the area of the original triangle is

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Figure for this problem12×1×\dfrac12\times 1\times
4=2. Equating the areas and solving for

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Figure for this problemk,weget, we get 2k 2 = ( 12 ) 12 2 k 2 = ( 12 ) 12 k = ( 12 ) 6\text{2k 2 = ( 12 ) 12 2 k 2 = ( 12 ) 12 k = ( 12 ) 6}andso and so k=164$.k=\dfrac{1}{64}\$.

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