Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2015

Geometry Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it United States

Problem:

Let ABCDABCD be a quadrilateral with an inscribed circle ω\omega that has center II. If IA=5IA = 5, IB=7IB = 7, IC=4IC = 4, ID=9ID = 9, find the value of ABCD\frac{AB}{CD}.

Solution

Solution:

The II-altitudes of triangles AIBAIB and CIDCID are both equal to the radius of ω\omega, hence have equal length. Therefore [AIB][CID]=ABCD\frac{[AIB]}{[CID]} = \frac{AB}{CD}. Also note that [AIB]=IAIBsinAIB[AIB] = IA \cdot IB \cdot \sin AIB and [CID]=ICIDsinCID[CID] = IC \cdot ID \cdot \sin CID, but since lines IA,IB,IC,IDIA, IB, IC, ID bisect angles DAB,ABC,BCD,CDA\angle DAB, \angle ABC, \angle BCD, \angle CDA respectively we have that AIB+CID=(180IABIBA)+(180ICDIDC)=180\angle AIB + \angle CID = (180^\circ - \angle IAB - \angle IBA) + (180^\circ - \angle ICD - \angle IDC) = 180^\circ. So, sinAIB=sinCID\sin AIB = \sin CID. Therefore [AIB][CID]=IAIBICID\frac{[AIB]}{[CID]} = \frac{IA \cdot IB}{IC \cdot ID}. Hence
ABCD=IAIBICID=5749=3536 \frac{AB}{CD} = \frac{IA \cdot IB}{IC \cdot ID} = \frac{5 \cdot 7}{4 \cdot 9} = \frac{35}{36}

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