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National Xxx Oma

Geometry Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Argentina

In the convex quadrilateral ABCDABCD the angles at AA and CC are equal and the bisector of BB passes through the midpoint of side CDCD. Given that CD=3ADCD = 3AD, find the ratio AB/BCAB/BC.

Solution

Let MM be the midpoint of CDCD. Since BMBM is the bisector of BB, the reflection EE of CC in BMBM lies on the ray BABA. Because ∠MEB=∠MCB\angle MEB = \angle MCB, by reflection, and ∠MECB=∠DAB\angle MECB = \angle DAB by hypothesis, we have ∠MEB=∠DAB\angle MEB = \angle DAB.

Hence ME∥DAME \parallel DA; in particular EE is on the side ABAB.

Furthermore ME=MCME = MC by reflection, and MC=MDMC = MD, so MC=MD=MEMC = MD = ME. Therefore triangle CDECDE is right with ∠CED=90∘\angle CED = 90^\circ. Then DE⊥CEDE \perp CE and since MB⊥CEMB \perp CE, we obtain BM∥EDBM \parallel ED.

Triangles BEMBEM and EADEAD have parallel sides, hence they are similar in ratio EM=CM=CD/AD=3/2EM = CM = CD/AD = 3/2. Then BE=3/2 AEBE = 3/2\ AE and AB=5/2 AEAB = 5/2\ AE. Hence AB/BC=AE/BE=5/3AB/BC = AE/BE = 5/3.

Figure 1

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