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Geometry Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it China

Let the focus and directrix of parabola y2=2pxy^2 = 2px (p>0p > 0) be FF and ll, respectively. AA and BB are moving points on the parabola satisfying AFB=π3\angle AFB = \frac{\pi}{3}. Let the projection of MM, the midpoint of segment ABAB, on ll be NN. Then the maximum value of MNAB\frac{|MN|}{|AB|} is ______.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Suppose ABF=θ\angle ABF = \theta (0<θ<2π30 < \theta < \frac{2\pi}{3}). Then by the Law of Sine, we have
AFsinθ=BFsin(2π3θ)=ABsinπ3 \frac{|AF|}{\sin \theta} = \frac{|BF|}{\sin(\frac{2\pi}{3} - \theta)} = \frac{|AB|}{\sin \frac{\pi}{3}}
And then
AF+BFsinθ+sin(2π3θ)=ABsinπ3 \frac{|AF| + |BF|}{\sin \theta + \sin(\frac{2\pi}{3} - \theta)} = \frac{|AB|}{\sin \frac{\pi}{3}}
So
AF+BFAB=sinθ+sin(2π3θ)sinπ3=2cos(θπ3). \frac{|AF| + |BF|}{|AB|} = \frac{\sin \theta + \sin(\frac{2\pi}{3} - \theta)}{\sin \frac{\pi}{3}} = 2\cos(\theta - \frac{\pi}{3}).
As seen in Fig. 4.1, by using the definition of a parabola and the property of a trapezoid, we have
MN=AF+BF2.|MN| = \frac{|AF| + |BF|}{2}. Then
MNAB=cos(θπ3). \frac{|MN|}{|AB|} = \cos\left(\theta - \frac{\pi}{3}\right).
Therefore, MNAB\frac{|MN|}{|AB|} reaches the maximum value 11 when θ=π3\theta = \frac{\pi}{3}.

Solution 2

By using the definition of a parabola and the property of a trapezoid, we have MN=AF+BF2|MN| = \frac{|AF| + |BF|}{2}. In AFB\triangle AFB, by using the Law of Cosines we have
AB2=AF2+BF22AFBFcosπ3=(AF+BF)23AFBF(AF+BF)23(AF+BF2)2=(AF+BF2)2=MN2. \begin{aligned} |AB|^2 &= |AF|^2 + |BF|^2 - 2|AF| \cdot |BF| \cos \frac{\pi}{3} \\ &= (|AF| + |BF|)^2 - 3|AF| \cdot |BF| \\ &\geq (|AF| + |BF|)^2 - 3\left(\frac{|AF| + |BF|}{2}\right)^2 \\ &= \left(\frac{|AF| + |BF|}{2}\right)^2 = |MN|^2. \end{aligned}
The equality holds if and only if AF=BF|AF| = |BF|. Therefore, the maximum value of MNAB\frac{|MN|}{|AB|} is 11. \square

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