Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:

Let G1G2G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{3} be a triangle with G1G2=7G_{1} G_{2}=7, G2G3=13G_{2} G_{3}=13, and G3G1=15G_{3} G_{1}=15. Let G4G_{4} be a point outside triangle G1G2G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{3} so that ray G1G4\overrightarrow{G_{1} G_{4}} cuts through the interior of the triangle, G3G4=G4G2G_{3} G_{4}=G_{4} G_{2}, and G3G1G4=30\angle G_{3} G_{1} G_{4}=30^{\circ}. Let G3G4G_{3} G_{4} and G1G2G_{1} G_{2} meet at G5G_{5}. Determine the length of segment G2G5G_{2} G_{5}.

Solution

Solution:

Answer: 16923\frac{169}{23}

Figure 1

We first show that quadrilateral G1G2G4G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{4} G_{3} is cyclic. Note that by the law of cosines,
cosG2G1G3=72+1521322715=12 \cos \angle G_{2} G_{1} G_{3}=\frac{7^{2}+15^{2}-13^{2}}{2 \cdot 7 \cdot 15}=\frac{1}{2}
so G2G1G3=60\angle G_{2} G_{1} G_{3}=60^{\circ}. However, we know that G3G1G4=30\angle G_{3} G_{1} G_{4}=30^{\circ}, so G1G4G_{1} G_{4} is an angle bisector. Now, let G1G4G_{1} G_{4} intersect the circumcircle of triangle G1G2G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{3} at XX. Then, the minor arcs G2X^\widehat{G_{2} X} and G3X^\widehat{G_{3} X} are subtended by the equal angles G2G1X\angle G_{2} G_{1} X and G3G1X\angle G_{3} G_{1} X, implying that G2X=G3XG_{2} X=G_{3} X, i.e. XX is on the perpendicular bisector of G2G3G_{2} G_{3}, ll. Similarly, since G4G2=G4G3G_{4} G_{2}=G_{4} G_{3}, G4G_{4} lies on ll. However, since ll and G1G4G_{1} G_{4} are distinct (in particular, G1G_{1} lies on G1G4G_{1} G_{4} but not ll), we in fact have X=G4X=G_{4}, so G1G2G4G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{4} G_{3} is cyclic.

We now have G5G2G4G5G3G1G_{5} G_{2} G_{4} \sim G_{5} G_{3} G_{1} since G1G2G4G3G_{1} G_{2} G_{4} G_{3} is cyclic. Now, we have G4G3G2=G4G1G2=30\angle G_{4} G_{3} G_{2}=\angle G_{4} G_{1} G_{2}=30^{\circ}, and we may now compute G2G4=G4G3=13/3G_{2} G_{4}=G_{4} G_{3}=13 / \sqrt{3}. Let G5G2=xG_{5} G_{2}=x and G5G4=yG_{5} G_{4}=y. Now, from G5G4G2G5G1G3G_{5} G_{4} G_{2} \sim G_{5} G_{1} G_{3}, we have:
xy+13/3=13/315=yx+7 \frac{x}{y+13 / \sqrt{3}}=\frac{13 / \sqrt{3}}{15}=\frac{y}{x+7}
Equating the first and second expressions and cross-multiplying, we get
y+1333=153x13. y+\frac{13 \sqrt{3}}{3}=\frac{15 \sqrt{3} x}{13} .
Now, equating the first and third expressions and substituting gives
(153x131333)(153x13)=x(x+7) \left(\frac{15 \sqrt{3} x}{13}-\frac{13 \sqrt{3}}{3}\right)\left(\frac{15 \sqrt{3} x}{13}\right)=x(x+7)
Upon dividing both sides by xx, we obtain a linear equation from which we can solve to get x=169/23x=169 / 23.

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