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Geometry Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Prove that there exist infinitely many non isosceles triangles with rational side lengths, rational lengths of altitudes, and perimeter equal to 33.

Solution

If the lengths aa, bb and cc of the sides are rational, since aha=bhb=chc=2Aa h_a = b h_b = c h_c = 2A, where by hah_a, hbh_b and hch_c we denote the lengths of the altitudes of the triangle, it is enough to find an infinite number of triangles with rational area. From Heron's formula we have
A=32(32a)(32b)(32c)=143(32a)(32b)(32c). A = \sqrt{\frac{3}{2} \left(\frac{3}{2} - a\right) \left(\frac{3}{2} - b\right) \left(\frac{3}{2} - c\right)} = \frac{1}{4} \sqrt{3(3 - 2a)(3 - 2b)(3 - 2c)}.
and hence, in order the area be rational for an infinite number of sides, it is enough the quantity under the radical to be square of a rational number. Therefore it is enough to find rational numbers xx, yy and zz such that
32a=3x2,32b=3y2,32c=3z2. 3 - 2a = 3x^2, \quad 3 - 2b = 3y^2, \quad 3 - 2c = 3z^2.
This is feasible by putting
x=2uvu2+v2+w2,y=2uwu2+v2+w2,z=u2+v2+w2u2+v2+w2. x = \frac{2uv}{u^2 + v^2 + w^2}, \quad y = \frac{2uw}{u^2 + v^2 + w^2}, \quad z = \frac{-u^2 + v^2 + w^2}{u^2 + v^2 + w^2}.
where uu, vv and ww are rational. It is easily checked that for these values of xx, yy and zz we have x2+y2+z2=1x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 1 and therefore, there exists a triangle of side lengths aa, bb and cc with perimeter 33.

Solution 2:
All triangles with side lengths 3aa+b+c\frac{3a}{a+b+c}, 3ba+b+c\frac{3b}{a+b+c}, 3ca+b+c\frac{3c}{a+b+c} where aa, bb and cc are integers such that a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2 satisfy the condition of the problem. Since there are infinitely many right triangles with integer sides no two of which are similar, we are done.

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