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Geometry Difficulty 4.6 AIME Find the answer Canada

In the diagram, PQR\triangle PQR is an isosceles triangle withPQ=PRPQ = PR. Semi-circles with diameters PQPQ, QRQR and PRPR are drawn.

The sum of the areas of these three semi-circles is equal to 5 times the area of the semi-circle with diameter QRQR. The value of cos(PQR)\cos(\angle PQR) is

13\frac{1}{3}
18\frac{1}{\sqrt{8}}
112\frac{1}{\sqrt{12}}
115\frac{1}{\sqrt{15}}
110\frac{1}{\sqrt{10}}

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Suppose that PQ=PR=2xPQ=PR = 2x and QR=2yQR=2y.

The semi-circles with diameters PQPQ and PRPR thus have radii xx and the radius of the semi-circle with diameter QRQR is yy.

The area of each semi-circle with radius xx is 12πx2\frac{1}{2}\pi x^2 and the area of the semi-circle with radius yy is 12πy2\frac{1}{2}\pi y^2.

Since the sum of the areas of the three semi-circles equals 5 times the area of the semi-circle with diameter QRQR, then 12πx2+12πx2+12πy2=512πy2\tfrac{1}{2}\pi x^2 + \tfrac{1}{2}\pi x^2 + \tfrac{1}{2}\pi y^2 = 5 \cdot \tfrac{1}{2}\pi y^2 which gives x2+x2+y2=5y2x^2 + x^2 + y^2 = 5y^2 and so 2x2=4y22x^2 = 4y^2 which gives x2=2y2x^2 = 2y^2 and so x=2yx = \sqrt{2}y.
Suppose that MM is the midpoint of QRQR and that PP is joined to MM.

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Since PQR\triangle PQR is isosceles with PQ=PRPQ = PR, then PMPM is perpendicular to QRQR.

In other words, PMQ\triangle PMQ is right-angled at MM.

Therefore, cos(PQR)=cos(PQM)=QMPQ=12QRPQ=y2x=y22y=122=142=18\cos(\angle PQR) = \cos(\angle PQM) = \dfrac{QM}{PQ} = \dfrac{\tfrac{1}{2}QR}{PQ} = \dfrac{y}{2x} = \dfrac{y}{2\sqrt{2}y} = \dfrac{1}{2\sqrt{2}} = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{4\cdot 2}} = \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{8}}.

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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.