Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /31 of 40

Geometry Difficulty 6.7 National olympiad Prove it China

In ABC\triangle ABC with AB=1AB = 1, let DD be a point on ACAC such that ABD=C\angle ABD = \angle C and let EE be a point on ABAB such that BE=DEBE = DE. Let HH be a point on DEDE such that AHDEAH \perp DE and MM be the midpoint of CDCD. If AH=23AH = 2 - \sqrt{3}, find the size of AME\angle AME. (posed by Xiong Bin)

Figure 1

Solution

Let ABD=C=α\angle ABD = \angle C = \alpha and DBC=β\angle DBC = \beta. It is easy to see that BDE=α\angle BDE = \alpha, AED=2α\angle AED = 2\alpha,
ADE=ADBBDE=(α+β)α=β, \angle ADE = \angle ADB - \angle BDE = (\alpha + \beta) - \alpha = \beta,
AB=AE+EB=AE+EH+HD. AB = AE + EB = AE + EH + HD.
Hence,
ABAH=AE+EHAH+HDAH=1+cos2αsin2α+cotβ=cotα+cotβ.1 \frac{AB}{AH} = \frac{AE + EH}{AH} + \frac{HD}{AH} = \frac{1 + \cos 2\alpha}{\sin 2\alpha} + \cot \beta \\ = \cot \alpha + \cot \beta. \qquad \textcircled{1}
Draw lines EKACEK \perp AC and ELBDEL \perp BD with pedals KK and LL, respectively. Then, LL is the midpoint of BDBD. Combining with the Sine Theorem, we obtain

Figure 2

ELEK=DEsinEDLDEsinEDK=sinαsinβ=BDCD=LDMD. \frac{EL}{EK} = \frac{DE \sin \angle EDL}{DE \sin \angle EDK} = \frac{\sin \alpha}{\sin \beta} \\ = \frac{BD}{CD} = \frac{LD}{MD}.
Thus,
cotα=LDEL=MDEK=MKEKDKEK=cotAMEcotβ.2 \cot \alpha = \frac{LD}{EL} = \frac{MD}{EK} = \frac{MK}{EK} - \frac{DK}{EK} = \cot \angle AME - \cot \beta. \quad \textcircled{2}
By 1\textcircled{1}, 2\textcircled{2} and known conditions, we have
cotAME=ABAH=123=2+3. \cot \angle AME = \frac{AB}{AH} = \frac{1}{2 - \sqrt{3}} = 2 + \sqrt{3}.
Therefore, AME=15\angle AME = 15^\circ.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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