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Geometry Difficulty 7.8 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Slovenia

The base ABAB of the trapezoid ABCDABCD is longer than the base CDCD, and ADC\angle ADC is a right angle. The diagonals ACAC and BDBD are perpendicular. Let EE be the foot of the altitude from DD to the line BCBC. Prove that AEBE=ACCDAC2CD2\frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AC|^2 - |CD|^2}.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Figure 1

1st solution. Since ACDACD is a right triangle, we have AC2CD2=AD2|AC|^2 - |CD|^2 = |AD|^2. The diagonals of the trapezoid intersect at a right angle, so DCA=π2BDC=ADB\angle DCA = \frac{\pi}{2} - \angle BDC = \angle ADB. This, together with ADC=π2=BAD\angle ADC = \frac{\pi}{2} = \angle BAD, implies that the triangles ACDACD and BDABDA are similar. Thus, ADCD=ABAD\frac{|AD|}{|CD|} = \frac{|AB|}{|AD|} or, equivalently, AD2=ABCD|AD|^2 = |AB| \cdot |CD|. This implies
ACCDAC2CD2=ACCDAD2=ACCDABCD=ACAB. \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AC|^2 - |CD|^2} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AD|^2} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AB| \cdot |CD|} = \frac{|AC|}{|AB|}.
Since BAD+DEB=π2+π2=π\angle BAD + \angle DEB = \frac{\pi}{2} + \frac{\pi}{2} = \pi. ABEDABED is a cyclic quadrilateral. So, AEB=ADB\angle AEB = \angle ADB. Because of the right angles we have BAC=π2CAD=ADB\angle BAC = \frac{\pi}{2} - \angle CAD = \angle ADB. The triangles ABEABE and CBACBA are similar, since AEB=BAC\angle AEB = \angle BAC and EBA=ABC\angle EBA = \angle ABC. Hence, AEBE=CAAB\frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|CA|}{|AB|} and this implies
ACCDAC2CD2=ACAB=AEBE. \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AC|^2 - |CD|^2} = \frac{|AC|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AE|}{|BE|}.

Solution 2

Figure 2

2nd solution. Since ACDACD is a right triangle, we have AC2CD2=AD2|AC|^2 - |CD|^2 = |AD|^2. Thus, it suffices to show that
AEBE=ACCDAD2. \frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AD|^2}.
Let TT be the intersection of the diagonals. Obviously, TAD=ABT\angle TAD = \angle ABT, so the triangles ACDACD and BDABDA are similar. Hence, ADCD=ABAD\frac{|AD|}{|CD|} = \frac{|AB|}{|AD|} or, equivalently, AD2=ABCD|AD|^2 = |AB| \cdot |CD|. We have BAD+DEB=π2+π2=π\angle BAD + \angle DEB = \frac{\pi}{2} + \frac{\pi}{2} = \pi, so the quadrilateral ABEDABED is cyclic and EAD=EBD\angle EAD = \angle EBD. Similarly, we have CTD+DEC=π\angle CTD + \angle DEC = \pi, so the quadrilateral CEDTCEDT is cyclic and CDE=CTE\angle CDE = \angle CTE. Since the triangles AEDAED and BETBET are similar, we have AEBE=ADBT\frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|AD|}{|BT|}. The triangles ADCADC and BTABTA are similar, so ADBT=ACAB\frac{|AD|}{|BT|} = \frac{|AC|}{|AB|}. Hence,
AEBE=ACAB=ACCDABCD=ACCDAD2. \frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|AC|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AB| \cdot |CD|} = \frac{|AC| \cdot |CD|}{|AD|^2}.
which was to be shown.

Solution 3

3rd solution. We have BAD+DEB=π2+π2=π\angle BAD + \angle DEB = \frac{\pi}{2} + \frac{\pi}{2} = \pi, so ABEDABED is a cyclic quadrilateral. By Ptolemy's theorem we have ABDE+ADBE=AEBD|AB| \cdot |DE| + |AD| \cdot |BE| = |AE| \cdot |BD| or
AEBE=ABDEBDBE+ADBD. \frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|AB| \cdot |DE|}{|BD| \cdot |BE|} + \frac{|AD|}{|BD|}.
Let TT be the intersection of the diagonals. Then ABDABD and TBATBA are right triangles and TBA=ABD\angle TBA = \angle ABD, so they are similar. This implies that ADBD=TAAB\frac{|AD|}{|BD|} = \frac{|TA|}{|AB|} and ABBD=BTAB\frac{|AB|}{|BD|} = \frac{|BT|}{|AB|}. Similarly, DEBDEB and CTBCTB are right triangles and since EBD=TBC\angle EBD = \angle TBC, they too are similar. We see that DEBE=CTBT\frac{|DE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|CT|}{|BT|} and
AEBE=BTCTABBT+TAAB=CT+TAAB=CAAB \frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|BT| \cdot |CT|}{|AB| \cdot |BT|} + \frac{|TA|}{|AB|} = \frac{|CT| + |TA|}{|AB|} = \frac{|CA|}{|AB|}
Finally, the triangles ADCADC and BADBAD are similar and we have CDAD=ADAB\frac{|CD|}{|AD|} = \frac{|AD|}{|AB|}, so
AEBE=CAAB=CACDAD2=CACDAC2CD2 \frac{|AE|}{|BE|} = \frac{|CA|}{|AB|} = \frac{|CA| \cdot |CD|}{|AD|^2} = \frac{|CA| \cdot |CD|}{|AC|^2 - |CD|^2}

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