Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Argentina

Let ABC\triangle ABC be a triangle with perimeter 100100 and incenter II. The parallel to ABAB through II divides the median through AA in ratio 7:37:3, counted from AA. Find the length of side ABAB.

Solution

Let AMAM be the median through AA, CJCJ the bisector through CC, and let the parallel to ABAB through II intersect AMAM at PP. Set AP:PM=λAP:PM = \lambda; in our problem, λ=73\lambda = \frac{7}{3}.

If NN is the midpoint of CLCL then MNABMN \parallel AB as MM is the midpoint of BCBC. Hence MNIPMN \parallel IP. Now Thales' theorem yields ILIN=APPM=λ\frac{IL}{IN} = \frac{AP}{PM} = \lambda. Indeed, let AMAM and CLCL meet at QQ. Then

ILAP=QIQP=QNQM=INPM,implyingILIN=APPM=λ. \frac{IL}{AP} = \frac{QI}{QP} = \frac{QN}{QM} = \frac{IN}{PM}, \quad \text{implying} \quad \frac{IL}{IN} = \frac{AP}{PM} = \lambda.

Because NN is the midpoint of CLCL, the equality
ILIN=λ gives NL=CN=(λ+1)IN, \frac{IL}{IN} = \lambda \text{ gives } NL = CN = (\lambda + 1)IN,
CI=(λ+2)IN. Hence, CILI=λ+2λ. CI = (\lambda + 2)IN. \text{ Hence, } \frac{CI}{LI} = \frac{\lambda + 2}{\lambda}.

On the other hand CILI=ACAL\frac{CI}{LI} = \frac{AC}{AL} by the bisector theorem in triangle ACLACL. Under standard notation BC=aBC = a, CA=bCA = b, AB=cAB = c we have AL=bca+bAL = \frac{bc}{a+b}, so

CILI=a+bc. (The last equality is generally known as a fact). It follows that λ+2λ=a+bc, implying \frac{CI}{LI} = \frac{a+b}{c}. \text{ (The last equality is generally known as a fact). It follows that } \frac{\lambda+2}{\lambda} = \frac{a+b}{c}, \text{ implying}
c=λλ+2(a+b),c=λ2λ+2(a+b+c). c = \frac{\lambda}{\lambda + 2}(a + b), \quad c = \frac{\lambda}{2\lambda + 2}(a + b + c).

For λ=73\lambda = \frac{7}{3} and a+b+c=100a+b+c = 100 the outcome is c=35c = 35.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.