Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /1003 of 1394

, 2018

Geometry Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:
Let ABCABC be a triangle with A=18\angle A = 18^{\circ}, B=36\angle B = 36^{\circ}. Let MM be the midpoint of ABAB, DD a point on ray CMCM such that AB=ADAB = AD; EE a point on ray BCBC such that AB=BEAB = BE, and FF a point on ray ACAC such that AB=AFAB = AF. Find FDE\angle FDE.

Solution

Solution:
Let ABD=ADB=x\angle ABD = \angle ADB = x, and DAB=1802x\angle DAB = 180^{\circ} - 2x. In triangle ACDACD, by the law of sines,
CD=ADsinACMsin(1982x), CD = \frac{AD}{\sin \angle ACM} \cdot \sin(198^{\circ} - 2x),
and by the law of sines in triangle BCDBCD,
CD=BDsinBCMsin(x+36). CD = \frac{BD}{\sin \angle BCM} \cdot \sin(x + 36^{\circ}).
Combining the two, we have
2cosx=BDAD=sin(1982x)sin(x+36)sinBCMsinACM. 2 \cos x = \frac{BD}{AD} = \frac{\sin(198^{\circ} - 2x)}{\sin(x + 36^{\circ})} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle BCM}{\sin \angle ACM}.
But by the ratio lemma,
1=MBMA=CBCAsinBCMsinACM, 1 = \frac{MB}{MA} = \frac{CB}{CA} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle BCM}{\sin \angle ACM},
meaning that
sinBCMsinACM=CACB=sin36sin18=2cos18. \frac{\sin \angle BCM}{\sin \angle ACM} = \frac{CA}{CB} = \frac{\sin 36^{\circ}}{\sin 18^{\circ}} = 2 \cos 18^{\circ}.
Plugging this in and simplifying, we have
2cosx=sin(1982x)sin(x+36)2cos18=cos(1082x)cos(54x)2cos18, 2 \cos x = \frac{\sin(198^{\circ} - 2x)}{\sin(x + 36^{\circ})} \cdot 2 \cos 18^{\circ} = \frac{\cos(108^{\circ} - 2x)}{\cos(54^{\circ} - x)} \cdot 2 \cos 18^{\circ},
so that
cosxcos18=cos(1082x)cos(54x). \frac{\cos x}{\cos 18^{\circ}} = \frac{\cos(108^{\circ} - 2x)}{\cos(54^{\circ} - x)}.
We see that x=36x = 36^{\circ} is a solution to this equation, and by carefully making rough sketches of both functions, we can convince ourselves that this is the only solution where xx is between 00 and 9090 degrees. Therefore ABD=ADB=36\angle ABD = \angle ADB = 36^{\circ}, DAB=108\angle DAB = 108^{\circ}.

Simple angle chasing yields AEB=72\angle AEB = 72^{\circ}, ECA=54\angle ECA = 54^{\circ}, EAC=54\angle EAC = 54^{\circ}, EAB=72\angle EAB = 72^{\circ}, making DD, AA, and EE collinear, and so BDE=36\angle BDE = 36^{\circ}. And because AF=AB=ADAF = AB = AD, FDB=12FAB=9\angle FDB = \frac{1}{2} \angle FAB = 9^{\circ}, so FDE=369=27\angle FDE = 36^{\circ} - 9^{\circ} = 27^{\circ}.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.