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Geometry Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it China

Suppose points F1,F2F_1, F_2 are the left and right foci of the ellipse x216+y24=1\frac{x^2}{16} + \frac{y^2}{4} = 1 respectively, and point PP is on line ll: x3y+8+23=0x - \sqrt{3}y + 8 + 2\sqrt{3} = 0. When F1PF2\angle F_1PF_2 reaches the maximum, the value of ratio PF1PF2\frac{|PF_1|}{|PF_2|} is ______.

Solution

Euclidean geometry tells us that, F1PF2\angle F_1PF_2 reaches the maximum only if the circle through points F1,F2,PF_1, F_2, P is tangent to the line ll at PP. Now suppose ll intercepts the xx-axis at point A(823,0)A(-8-2\sqrt{3}, 0). Then APF1=AF2P\angle APF_1 = \angle AF_2P, and that means APF1AF2P\triangle APF_1 \sim \triangle AF_2P. So
PF1PF2=APAF2 \frac{|PF_1|}{|PF_2|} = \frac{|AP|}{|AF_2|}
By using the power of points theorem, we have
AP2=AF1AF2 |AP|^2 = |AF_1| \cdot |AF_2|
As F1(23,0)F_1(-2\sqrt{3}, 0), F2(23,0)F_2(2\sqrt{3}, 0), A(823,0)A(-8-2\sqrt{3}, 0), so
AF1=8,AF2=8+43. |AF_1| = 8, \quad |AF_2| = 8 + 4\sqrt{3}.
Then we get

PF1PF2=AF1AF2=88+43=423=31.\begin{aligned} \frac{|PF_1|}{|PF_2|} &= \sqrt{\frac{|AF_1|}{|AF_2|}} = \sqrt{\frac{8}{8+4\sqrt{3}}} \\ &= \sqrt{4-2\sqrt{3}} = \sqrt{3}-1. \end{aligned}

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