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Geometry Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

Prove that
sin10cos20sin30cos40sin50cos60sin70cos80=1256. sin 10^\circ \cdot \cos 20^\circ \cdot \sin 30^\circ \cdot \cos 40^\circ \cdot \sin 50^\circ \cdot \cos 60^\circ \cdot \sin 70^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ = \frac{1}{256}.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

As sin10=cos80\sin 10^\circ = \cos 80^\circ, sin30=cos60\sin 30^\circ = \cos 60^\circ, sin50=cos40\sin 50^\circ = \cos 40^\circ, and sin70=cos20\sin 70^\circ = \cos 20^\circ, the desired equality is equivalent to
(cos20cos40cos60cos80)2=1256. (\cos 20^\circ \cdot \cos 40^\circ \cdot \cos 60^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ)^2 = \frac{1}{256}.
It is known that cos60=12\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}. Concerning the other factors, we obtain
cos20cos40cos80=8sin20cos20cos40cos808sin20=4sin40cos40cos808sin20=2sin80cos808sin20=sin1608sin20=sin208sin20=18. \begin{aligned} \cos 20^\circ \cdot \cos 40^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ &= \frac{8 \sin 20^\circ \cos 20^\circ \cdot \cos 40^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ}{8 \sin 20^\circ} \\ &= \frac{4 \sin 40^\circ \cos 40^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ}{8 \sin 20^\circ} \\ &= \frac{2 \sin 80^\circ \cos 80^\circ}{8 \sin 20^\circ} \\ &= \frac{\sin 160^\circ}{8 \sin 20^\circ} = \frac{\sin 20^\circ}{8 \sin 20^\circ} = \frac{1}{8}. \end{aligned}
Consequently,
(cos20cos40cos60cos80)2=(1218)2=(116)2=1256. (\cos 20^\circ \cdot \cos 40^\circ \cdot \cos 60^\circ \cdot \cos 80^\circ)^2 = \left(\frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{8}\right)^2 = \left(\frac{1}{16}\right)^2 = \frac{1}{256}.

Solution 2

As sin10=cos80\sin 10^\circ = \cos 80^\circ, sin30=cos60\sin 30^\circ = \cos 60^\circ, sin50=cos40\sin 50^\circ = \cos 40^\circ, and sin70=cos20\sin 70^\circ = \cos 20^\circ, the l.h.s. of the desired equality can be rewritten as (cos20cos40cos60cos80)2(\cos 20^\circ \cos 40^\circ \cos 60^\circ \cos 80^\circ)^2. Hence the desired equality is equivalent to
cos20cos40cos60cos80=116.(2) \cos 20^\circ \cos 40^\circ \cos 60^\circ \cos 80^\circ = \frac{1}{16}. \qquad (2)
As cos60=12\cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2} and sin60=32\sin 60^\circ = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}, we have
cos40cos80=cos(6020)cos(60+20)=(cos60cos20+sin60sin20)(cos60cos20sin60sin20)=cos260cos220sin260sin220=14cos22034sin220=14(cos2203sin220). \begin{aligned} \cos 40^\circ \cos 80^\circ &= \cos (60^\circ - 20^\circ) \cos (60^\circ + 20^\circ) \\ &= (\cos 60^\circ \cos 20^\circ + \sin 60^\circ \sin 20^\circ) (\cos 60^\circ \cos 20^\circ - \sin 60^\circ \sin 20^\circ) \\ &= \cos^2 60^\circ \cos^2 20^\circ - \sin^2 60^\circ \sin^2 20^\circ \\ &= \frac{1}{4} \cos^2 20^\circ - \frac{3}{4} \sin^2 20^\circ = \frac{1}{4} (\cos^2 20^\circ - 3 \sin^2 20^\circ). \end{aligned}
Thus
cos20cos40cos60cos80=18(cos3203sin220cos20).(3) \cos 20^\circ \cos 40^\circ \cos 60^\circ \cos 80^\circ = \frac{1}{8} (\cos^3 20^\circ - 3 \sin^2 20^\circ \cos 20^\circ). \quad (3)
By applying the formula cos3x=cos3x3sin2xcosx\cos 3x = \cos^3 x - 3 \sin^2 x \cos x to x=20x = 20^\circ, we get cos3203sin220cos20=cos60=12\cos^3 20^\circ - 3 \sin^2 20^\circ \cos 20^\circ = \cos 60^\circ = \frac{1}{2}. Consequently, (3) reduces to (2), completing the solution of the problem.

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