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Geometry Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

Let ABCABC be a triangle with integral side lengths. The angle bisector drawn from BB and the altitude drawn from CC meet at point PP inside the triangle. Prove that the ratio of areas of triangles APBAPB and APCAPC is a rational number.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let HH be the foot of the altitude drawn from CC. First prove that AH|AH| and BH|BH| are rational numbers. For that, use the Pythagorean theorem for triangles ACHACH and BCHBCH to obtain AH2+CH2=AC2|AH|^2 + |CH|^2 = |AC|^2 and BH2+CH2=BC2|BH|^2 + |CH|^2 = |BC|^2. Therefore AC2BC2=AH2BH2=(AHBH)(AH+BH)=(AHBH)AB|AC|^2 - |BC|^2 = |AH|^2 - |BH|^2 = (|AH| - |BH|) \cdot (|AH| + |BH|) = (|AH| - |BH|) \cdot |AB|. We see that AHBH=AC2BC2AB|AH| - |BH| = \frac{|AC|^2 - |BC|^2}{|AB|} is rational and so are AH=AC2+BC2AB|AH| = \frac{|AC|^2 + |BC|^2}{|AB|}
Figure 1
Fig. 6
and BH=AH(AHBH)|BH| = |AH| - (|AH| - |BH|). Let now KK be the projection of PP to BCBC (see Fig. 6). As PP lies on the angle bisector of BB, it is equidistant from both ABAB and BCBC, i.e., PH=PK|PH| = |PK|. Consequently,

SAPBSBPC=ABPHBCPK=ABBCBHAHAs CHAB, also SBPCSAPC=CPBHCPAH=BHAH \frac{S_{APB}}{S_{BPC}} = \frac{|AB| \cdot |PH|}{|BC| \cdot |PK|} = \frac{|AB|}{|BC|} \cdot \frac{|BH|}{|AH|} \quad \text{As } CH \perp AB, \text{ also } \frac{S_{BPC}}{S_{APC}} = \frac{|CP| \cdot |BH|}{|CP| \cdot |AH|} = \frac{|BH|}{|AH|}
Thus, SAPBSAPC=ABBCBHAH\frac{S_{APB}}{S_{APC}} = \frac{|AB|}{|BC|} \cdot \frac{|BH|}{|AH|} is rational as a product of two rational numbers.

Solution 2

Let HH be the foot of the altitude drawn from CC and let LL be the projection of PP to ACAC (see Fig. 6). Now CPL=90ACH=90(90CAB)=CAB\angle CPL = 90^\circ - \angle ACH = 90^\circ - (90^\circ - \angle CAB) = \angle CAB, giving PHPL=PHPCcosCAB\frac{|PH|}{|PL|} = \frac{|PH|}{|PC| \cdot \cos \angle CAB}. The angle bisector theorem gives PHPC=BHBC=cosABC\frac{|PH|}{|PC|} = \frac{|BH|}{|BC|} = \cos \angle ABC. Consequently,
SAPBSAPC=ABPHACPL=ABACcosABCcosCAB \frac{S_{APB}}{S_{APC}} = \frac{|AB| \cdot |PH|}{|AC| \cdot |PL|} = \frac{|AB|}{|AC|} \cdot \frac{\cos \angle ABC}{\cos \angle CAB}
As the side lengths of the triangle ABCABC are integers, ABAC\frac{|AB|}{|AC|} is rational. By the cosine law, the cosines of the angles of triangle ABCABC are rational, whence cosABCcosCAB\frac{\cos \angle ABC}{\cos \angle CAB} is rational. Altogether, SAPBSAPC\frac{S_{APB}}{S_{APC}} is rational.

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