Problem: Let ABC be a triangle such that ∣AB∣−∣BC∣∣BC∣=∣AC∣∣AB∣+∣BC∣. Determine the ratio ∠A:∠C.
Solution
Solution: Answer: 1:2.
Denote ∣BC∣=a, ∣AC∣=b, ∣AB∣=c. The condition c−aa=bc+a implies c2=a2+ab and a+bc=ca. Let D be a point on AB such that ∣BD∣=a+ba⋅c (see Figure 5). Then ∣BC∣∣BD∣=a+bc=ca=∣BA∣∣BC∣ so triangles BCD and BAC are similar, implying ∠BCD=∠BAC. Also, ∣BC∣∣AC∣=∣BD∣∣AD∣ yields ∣BD∣∣BC∣=∣AD∣∣AC∣, and hence by the bisector theorem CD is the bisector of ∠BCA. So the ratio asked for is 1:2.
Figure 5
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.