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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National Olympiad Prove it Canada

Problem:

In the diagram, OBiOB_{i} is parallel and equal in length to AiAi+1A_{i}A_{i+1} for i=1,2,3i=1,2,3 and 44 (A5=A1A_{5}=A_{1}). Show that the area of B1B2B3B4B_{1}B_{2}B_{3}B_{4} is twice that of A1A2A3A4A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}A_{4}.

Figure 1

Solution

Solution:

Let OO be the origin. Let AiA_{i} have position vector ai\vec{a}_{i} for i=1,2,3,4i=1,2,3,4.

Since OBiOB_{i} is parallel and equal in length to AiAi+1A_{i}A_{i+1}, we have:

OBi=bi=ai+1ai \vec{OB}_{i} = \vec{b}_{i} = \vec{a}_{i+1} - \vec{a}_{i}

So BiB_{i} has position vector bi=ai+1ai\vec{b}_{i} = \vec{a}_{i+1} - \vec{a}_{i}.

The area of quadrilateral A1A2A3A4A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}A_{4} is:

SA=12(a2a1)×(a3a1)+(a4a1)×(a3a1) S_{A} = \frac{1}{2} | (\vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{1}) \times (\vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{1}) + (\vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{1}) \times (\vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{1}) |

But for a quadrilateral with consecutive vertices P1,P2,P3,P4P_{1}, P_{2}, P_{3}, P_{4}, the area is:

S=12(P1×P2)+(P2×P3)+(P3×P4)+(P4×P1) S = \frac{1}{2} | (\vec{P}_{1} \times \vec{P}_{2}) + (\vec{P}_{2} \times \vec{P}_{3}) + (\vec{P}_{3} \times \vec{P}_{4}) + (\vec{P}_{4} \times \vec{P}_{1}) |

Apply this to A1A2A3A4A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}A_{4}:

SA=12a1×a2+a2×a3+a3×a4+a4×a1 S_{A} = \frac{1}{2} | \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} |

Similarly, for B1B2B3B4B_{1}B_{2}B_{3}B_{4}:

SB=12b1×b2+b2×b3+b3×b4+b4×b1 S_{B} = \frac{1}{2} | \vec{b}_{1} \times \vec{b}_{2} + \vec{b}_{2} \times \vec{b}_{3} + \vec{b}_{3} \times \vec{b}_{4} + \vec{b}_{4} \times \vec{b}_{1} |

Recall bi=ai+1ai\vec{b}_{i} = \vec{a}_{i+1} - \vec{a}_{i} for i=1,2,3,4i=1,2,3,4 (with A5=A1A_{5} = A_{1}).

Compute b1×b2\vec{b}_{1} \times \vec{b}_{2}:

b1×b2=(a2a1)×(a3a2) \vec{b}_{1} \times \vec{b}_{2} = (\vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{1}) \times (\vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{2})

Expand:

=a2×a3a2×a2a1×a3+a1×a2 = \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2}

But a2×a2=0\vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{2} = 0, so:

=a2×a3a1×a3+a1×a2 = \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2}

Similarly, compute all four terms:

1. b1×b2=a2×a3a1×a3+a1×a2\vec{b}_{1} \times \vec{b}_{2} = \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2}
2. b2×b3=(a3a2)×(a4a3)=a3×a4a2×a4a3×a3+a2×a3=a3×a4a2×a4+a2×a3\vec{b}_{2} \times \vec{b}_{3} = (\vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{2}) \times (\vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{3}) = \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} = \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3}
3. b3×b4=(a4a3)×(a1a4)=a4×a1a3×a1a4×a4+a3×a4=a4×a1a3×a1+a3×a4\vec{b}_{3} \times \vec{b}_{4} = (\vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{3}) \times (\vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{4}) = \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} = \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4}
4. b4×b1=(a1a4)×(a2a1)=a1×a2a4×a2a1×a1+a4×a1=a1×a2a4×a2+a4×a1\vec{b}_{4} \times \vec{b}_{1} = (\vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{4}) \times (\vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{1}) = \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{1} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} = \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1}

Add all four terms:

Sum:

[a2×a3a1×a3+a1×a2]+[a3×a4a2×a4+a2×a3]+[a4×a1a3×a1+a3×a4]+[a1×a2a4×a2+a4×a1] \begin{align*} & [\vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2}] \\ & + [\vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3}] \\ & + [\vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} - \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4}] \\ & + [\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} - \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1}] \end{align*}

Now, group like terms:

- a2×a3\vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} appears twice
- a3×a4\vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} appears twice
- a4×a1\vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1} appears twice
- a1×a2\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} appears twice

Negative terms:
- a1×a3-\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3}
- a2×a4-\vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{4}
- a3×a1-\vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1}
- a4×a2-\vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{2}

But a1×a3+a3×a1=0\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1} = 0 (since u×v=v×u\vec{u} \times \vec{v} = -\vec{v} \times \vec{u}), so a1×a3a3×a1=0-\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{3} - \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{1} = 0.
Similarly, a2×a4a4×a2=0-\vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{4} - \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{2} = 0.

So the sum is:

2[a1×a2+a2×a3+a3×a4+a4×a1] 2[\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1}]

Therefore,

SB=122[a1×a2+a2×a3+a3×a4+a4×a1]=a1×a2+a2×a3+a3×a4+a4×a1=2SA S_{B} = \frac{1}{2} |2[\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1}]| = |\vec{a}_{1} \times \vec{a}_{2} + \vec{a}_{2} \times \vec{a}_{3} + \vec{a}_{3} \times \vec{a}_{4} + \vec{a}_{4} \times \vec{a}_{1}| = 2S_{A}

Thus, the area of B1B2B3B4B_{1}B_{2}B_{3}B_{4} is twice that of A1A2A3A4A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}A_{4}.

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