GeometryDifficulty 5.2AIME, harderFind the answerItaly
Let ABCD be a parallelogram such that the bisector from B intersects side CD at its midpoint M. Side BC has length 6, and diagonal AC has length 14. Determine the length of AM.
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Solution
Solution:
We observe that triangle MBC is isosceles with base MB: indeed CBM=MBA, by hypothesis, and ABM=BMC, since they are alternate interior angles with respect to the parallels DC∥AB. Hence AB=DC=2MC=2CB=2⋅6=12 Let us call K the projection of C onto AB and set h=CK and d=BK. We find h and d through the system {BC2−h2=d2AC2−h2=(AB+d)2 from which, subtracting the equations, we get d=2/3 and h=85/3.
Calling H the projection of M onto AB, we have AH=AB+BK−HK, where HK=MC (because HKCM is a rectangle by construction) and AB=2MC. It follows that AH=MC+d=20/3 and AM2=(AH)2+h2=80. Consequently AM=45.
Second solution. As before we have AB=2BC. We observe that triangle ABM is right-angled at M: indeed, calling N the midpoint of AB, we have NM∥BC, so NM=AN=NB=6, hence M lies on a circle of radius 6 centered at N and in particular the angle at M is right. Calling β the angle ABM, we have AM=ABsinβ=12sinβ. Knowing the sides of triangle ABC we can obtain cos(2β) by means of the law of cosines: AB2+BC2−2AB⋅BCcos(2β)=AC2, from which cos(2β)=−1/9. Thanks to the cosine addition formula we can obtain sinβ from the equation cos(2β)=1−2sin2β, from which sinβ=5/3. Thus AM=12⋅5/3=45.
Third solution. From Heron's formula we obtain that the area of triangle ABC is 165. This area is also equal to the area of ABM, which in turn is twice the area of ANM. Calling 2x the length of AM, we must have 1/2⋅2x⋅62−x2=1/2⋅165=85. Squaring both sides and solving for x2 we find 2x=45.
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