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Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

A triangle ABCABC has an obtuse angle at BB. The perpendicular at BB to ABAB meets ACAC at DD, and CD=AB|CD| = |AB|. Prove that
AD2=ABBC if and only if CBD=30. |AD|^2 = |AB| \cdot |BC| \text{ if and only if } \angle CBD = 30^\circ.

Solution

Let BC=a|BC| = a, AD=b|AD| = b, AB=CD=c|AB| = |CD| = c. We are given b2=acb^2 = a c and need to prove CBD=30\angle CBD = 30^\circ.
a2+c2(b+c)22ac=cos(90+CBD)=sin(CBD). Hence sin(BCD)=b2+2bca22ac. \frac{a^2 + c^2 - (b + c)^2}{2 a c} = \cos(90^\circ + \angle CBD) = -\sin(\angle CBD). \text{ Hence } \sin(\angle BCD) = \frac{b^2 + 2 b c - a^2}{2 a c}.
Also sin(CBD)=casin(BDC)=casin(BDA)=cacb. \text{Also } \sin(\angle CBD) = \frac{c}{a} \sin(\angle BDC) = \frac{c}{a} \sin(\angle BDA) = \frac{c}{a} \cdot \frac{c}{b}.
Hence
b2+2bca22ac=c2ab \frac{b^2 + 2 b c - a^2}{2 a c} = \frac{c^2}{a b}
Thus b3+2b2ca2b2c3=0b^3 + 2 b^2 c - a^2 b - 2 c^3 = 0. Using b2=acb^2 = a c we obtain (ab2c2)(ca)=0(a b - 2 c^2)(c - a) = 0.
If a=ca = c then AC=b+c>c+c|AC| = b + c > c + c which contradicts the triangle inequality. Hence ab=2c2a b = 2 c^2 and from previous calculations sin(CBD)=c2ab=12\sin(\angle CBD) = \frac{c^2}{a b} = \frac{1}{2}. Thus CBD=30\angle CBD = 30^\circ.
Conversely, sin(CBD)=b2+2bca22ac=12 implies b2+2bca2ac=0. \text{Conversely, } \sin(\angle CBD) = \frac{b^2 + 2 b c - a^2}{2 a c} = \frac{1}{2} \text{ implies } b^2 + 2 b c - a^2 - a c = 0.
Also sin(CBD)=c2ab=12\sin(\angle CBD) = \frac{c^2}{a b} = \frac{1}{2} implies ab=2c2a b = 2 c^2. Substituting for aa we obtain b2+2bc4c4b22c3b=0b^2 + 2 b c - \frac{4 c^4}{b^2} - \frac{2 c^3}{b} = 0. Factorising we obtain (b32c3)(b+2c)=0(b^3 - 2 c^3)(b + 2 c) = 0. As b+2c>0b + 2 c > 0, b3=2c3=2abcb^3 = 2 c^3 = 2 a b c. Hence b2=acb^2 = a c.

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