Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National Olympiad Prove it India

Problem:
Let ABCABC be a triangle and DD be the mid-point of side BCBC. Suppose DAB=BCA\angle DAB = \angle BCA and DAC=15\angle DAC = 15^{\circ}. Show that ADC\angle ADC is obtuse. Further, if OO is the circumcentre of ADCADC, prove that triangle AODAOD is equilateral.

Solution

Solution:
Figure 1
Let α\alpha denote the equal angles BAD=DCA\angle BAD = \angle DCA. Using sine rule in triangles DABDAB and DACDAC, we get
ADsinB=BDsinα,CDsin15=ADsinα \frac{AD}{\sin B} = \frac{BD}{\sin \alpha}, \quad \frac{CD}{\sin 15^{\circ}} = \frac{AD}{\sin \alpha}
Eliminating α\alpha (using BD=DCBD = DC and 2α+B+15=π2\alpha + B + 15^{\circ} = \pi), we obtain 1+cos(B+15)=2sinBsin151 + \cos(B + 15^{\circ}) = 2 \sin B \sin 15^{\circ}. But we know that 2sinBsin15=cos(B15)cos(B+15)2 \sin B \sin 15^{\circ} = \cos(B - 15^{\circ}) - \cos(B + 15^{\circ}). Putting β=B15\beta = B - 15^{\circ}, we get a relation 1+2cos(β+30)=cosβ1 + 2\cos(\beta + 30) = \cos \beta. We write this in the form
(13)cosβ+sinβ=1 (1 - \sqrt{3}) \cos \beta + \sin \beta = 1
Since sinβ1\sin \beta \leq 1, it follows that (13)cosβ0(1 - \sqrt{3}) \cos \beta \geq 0. We conclude that cosβ0\cos \beta \leq 0 and hence that β\beta is obtuse. So is angle BB and hence ADC\angle ADC.

We have the relation (13)cosβ+sinβ=1(1 - \sqrt{3}) \cos \beta + \sin \beta = 1. If we set x=tan(β/2)x = \tan(\beta/2), then we get, using cosβ=(1x2)/(1+x2)\cos \beta = (1 - x^2)/(1 + x^2), sinβ=2x/(1+x2)\sin \beta = 2x/(1 + x^2),
(32)x2+2x3=0 (\sqrt{3} - 2)x^2 + 2x - \sqrt{3} = 0
Solving for xx, we obtain x=1x = 1 or x=3(2+3)x = \sqrt{3}(2 + \sqrt{3}). If x=3(2+3)x = \sqrt{3}(2 + \sqrt{3}), then tan(β/2)>2+3=tan75\tan(\beta/2) > 2 + \sqrt{3} = \tan 75^{\circ} giving us β>150\beta > 150^{\circ}. This forces that B>165B > 165^{\circ} and hence B+A>165+15=180B + A > 165^{\circ} + 15^{\circ} = 180^{\circ}, a contradiction. Thus x=1x = 1 giving us β=π/2\beta = \pi/2. This gives B=105B = 105^{\circ} and hence α=30\alpha = 30^{\circ}. Thus DAO=60\angle DAO = 60^{\circ}. Since OA=ODOA = OD, the result follows.

Solution 2:
Let mam_a denote the median ADAD. Then we can compute
cosα=c2+ma2(a2/4)2cma,sinα=2Δcma \cos \alpha = \frac{c^2 + m_a^2 - (a^2/4)}{2cm_a}, \quad \sin \alpha = \frac{2\Delta}{cm_a}
where Δ\Delta denotes the area of triangle ABCABC. These two expressions give
cotα=c2+ma2(a2/4)4Δ \cot \alpha = \frac{c^2 + m_a^2 - (a^2/4)}{4\Delta}
Similarly, we obtain
cotCAD=b2+ma2(a2/4)4Δ \cot \angle CAD = \frac{b^2 + m_a^2 - (a^2/4)}{4\Delta}
Thus we get
cotαcot15=c2a24Δ \cot \alpha - \cot 15^{\circ} = \frac{c^2 - a^2}{4\Delta}
Similarly we can also obtain
cotBcotα=c2a24Δ \cot B - \cot \alpha = \frac{c^2 - a^2}{4\Delta}
giving us the relation
cotB=2cotαcot15 \cot B = 2\cot \alpha - \cot 15^{\circ}
If BB is acute then 2cotα>cot15=2+3>232\cot \alpha > \cot 15^{\circ} = 2 + \sqrt{3} > 2\sqrt{3}. It follows that cotα>3\cot \alpha > \sqrt{3}. This implies that α<30\alpha < 30^{\circ} and hence
B=1802α15>105 B = 180^{\circ} - 2\alpha - 15^{\circ} > 105^{\circ}
This contradiction forces that angle BB is obtuse and consequently ADC\angle ADC is obtuse.

Since BAD=α=ACD\angle BAD = \alpha = \angle ACD, the line ABAB is tangent to the circumcircle Γ\Gamma of ADCADC at AA. Hence OAOA is perpendicular to ABAB. Draw DEDE and BFBF perpendicular to ACAC, and join ODOD. Since DAC=15\angle DAC = 15^{\circ}, we see that DOC=30\angle DOC = 30^{\circ} and hence DE=OD/2DE = OD/2. But DEDE is parallel to BFBF and BD=DCBD = DC shows that BF=2DEBF = 2DE. We conclude that BF=DOBF = DO. But DO=AODO = AO, both being radii of Γ\Gamma. Thus BF=AOBF = AO. Using right triangles BFOBFO and BAOBAO, we infer that AB=OFAB = OF. We conclude that ABFOABFO is a rectangle. In particular AOF=90\angle AOF = 90^{\circ}. It follows that
AOD=90DOC=9030=60 \angle AOD = 90^{\circ} - \angle DOC = 90^{\circ} - 30^{\circ} = 60^{\circ}
Since OA=ODOA = OD, we conclude that AODAOD is equilateral.

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