Let ABCDE be a convex pentagon in which AB=1, ∠BAE=∠ABC=120∘, ∠CDE=60∘ and ∠ADB=30∘. Prove that the area of the pentagon ABCDE is less than 3.
(Miloš Milosavljević)
Solution
Solution:
Let k be the circle circumscribed about triangle ABD, and let l be the line through D parallel to AB. The radius of the circle k is 1. The rays BC and AE intersect k at points H and I, and the line l at F and G, respectively. Triangles FCD and GDE are similar because ∠CFD=∠DGE=60∘ and ∠FCD=120∘−∠CDF=∠GDE. Let us denote by k=GDFC=GEFD the ratio of similarity, by h the distance from the point D to HI, and x=FD, y=GD. It is easy to find that x+y=2+32h and xy=34h2+32h (the product xy is the power of the point F with respect to k and is equal to OF2−1, where O is the center of the circle k). Thus we obtain PABFG=21(1+x+y)(23+h)=31h2+2h+433PFCD+PGDE=21(x⋅FC+y⋅GE)sin60∘=43xy(k+k1)≥23xy=32h2+h so that PABCDE=PABFG−(PFCD+PGDE)≤−31h2+h+433=f(h) The quadratic function f(h) attains its maximum for h=23, which proves that PABCDE≤3. Equality would hold only if h=23 and k=1; then (if without loss of generality we assume DA≥DB) the point D would be symmetric to the point B with respect to HI, so triangle ADG would be equilateral and FC=GD=GA=FB, which is impossible because then B and C would coincide. Therefore the above inequality is strict.
Second solution.
Assume that triangle ABD is not obtuse. Then the points C′ and E′ symmetric to the points C and E with respect to the lines BD and AD respectively lie inside triangle ABD, on the same line through D, and it holds that SABCDE=SABD+SADE+SBDC=SABD+SADE′+SBDC′≤2SABD−SABF, where F is the intersection point of the lines AE′ and BC′. Equality holds if and only if F≡C′≡E′. Let us denote ∠BAD=α. Then ∠ABD=150∘−α, ∠BAF=2α−120∘, ∠ABF=180∘−2α, so it holds that SABD=sinαsin(150∘−α)=43+21cos(150∘−2α)=43+21uSABF=31sin(2α−120∘)sin2α=−123+63cos(300∘−4α)=−43+31u2 where cos(150∘−2α)=u and from this cos(300∘−4α)=2u2−1. Now we have SABCDE≤2SABD−SABF=433+u−3u2≤3 with equality that would hold for u=23, i.e. α∈{60∘,90∘}, and F≡C′≡E′, but is never attained because for these values of α the point F is located at the vertex of the right angle, so the pentagon is degenerate.
In the case of an obtuse triangle ABD, with the same notation, the point F is located outside triangle ABD, but the above expression for the area of △ABF takes negative values, so again we obtain SABCDE≤433+u−3u2<3.
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