Problem:
The three sides of a right triangle form a geometric sequence. Determine the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to the length of the shorter leg.
Problem:
The three sides of a right triangle form a geometric sequence. Determine the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to the length of the shorter leg.
Solution:
Answer:
Let the shorter leg have length , and the common ratio of the geometric sequence be . Then the length of the other leg is , and the length of the hypotenuse is . Hence,
Hence, , and therefore . As , we have , completing the problem as the ratio of the hypotenuse to the shorter side is .