GeometryDifficulty 5.7AIME, harderProve itUnited States
Problem: Let ABC be a triangle, and let points P and Q lie on BC such that P is closer to B than Q is. Suppose that the radii of the incircles of triangles ABP, APQ, and AQC are all equal to 1, and that the radii of the corresponding excircles opposite A are 3, 6, and 5, respectively. If the radius of the incircle of triangle ABC is 23, find the radius of the excircle of triangle ABC opposite A.
Solution
Solution: Let t denote the radius of the excircle of triangle ABC opposite A.
Lemma: Let ABC be a triangle, and let r and rA be the inradius and exradius opposite A. Then rAr=tan2Btan2C Proof. Let I and J denote the incenter and the excenter with respect to A. Let D and E be the foot of the perpendicular from I and J to BC, respectively. Then r=IDrA=JEBI=BIsin2B=BJsin2180∘−B=BJcos2B=BJtan∠AJB=BYtan2C. The last equation followed from ∠AJB=180∘−∠ABJ−∠JAB=2180∘−B−2A=2C. Hence rAr=cos2Bsin2B⋅BJBI=tan2B⋅tan2C Noting tan2∠APBtan2∠APQ=tan2∠AQPtan2∠AQC=1 and applying the lemma to △ABC, △ABP, △APQ, and △AQC give t3/2=tan2∠ABC⋅tan2∠ACB=(tan2∠ABC⋅tan2∠APB)⋅(tan2∠APQ⋅tan2∠AQP)⋅(tan2∠AQC⋅tan2∠ACB)=31⋅61⋅51 Therefore, t=135.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.