Suppose M is a point on the side AB of △ABC such that the incircles of △AMC and △BMC have the same radius. The two incircles, centered at O1 and O2, meet AB at P and Q respectively. It is known that the area of △ABC is six times the area of the quadrilateral PQO2O1, determine the possible values of ABAC+BC. Justify your claim.
Solution
The ratio can be 35 or 45. Let a=BC, b=CA, c=AB, d=a+b, s=2a+b+c, x=MA, y=MB and z=MC. Also, let r be the inradius of △ABC, and let r′ be the inradius of △AMC. Firstly, by considering △AMC, we obtain r′=b+x+z2[AMC]. Similarly, by considering △BMC, we obtain r′=a+y+z2[BMC]. Equating these, and using [BMC][AMC]=yx, we obtain a+y+zb+x+z=yx. This implies a+zb+z=yx. Since x+y=c, we obtain x=a+b+2z(b+z)candy=a+b+2z(a+z)c.(1) Secondly, we have O1P=APtan2A=2b+x−z⋅s−ar=b+c−a(b+x−z)r and similarly O2Q=a+c−b(a+y−z)r. Since these are equal, we have b+c−ab+x−z=a+c−ba+y−z. Using (1), this becomes b+c−a(a+b+2z)(b−z)+(b+z)c=a+c−b(a+b+2z)(a−z)+(a+z)c. Clearing denominators and simplifying, we get 4(a−b)z2=(a−b)(a+b+c)(a+b−c). This implies a=b or z=s(s−c). If a=b, then we have x=y=2c by (1), and hence z=a2−x2=(a+2c)(a−2c)=s(s−c). Therefore, z=s(s−c)(2) holds in any case. Thirdly, we use the given condition. Note that PQO2O1 is a rectangle, and so [PQO2O1]=PQ⋅r′=(2x+z−b+2y+z−a)r′=2(c+2z−d)r′. Next, we have [ABC]=[AMC]+[BMC]=2b+x+z⋅r′+2a+y+z⋅r′=2(c+2z+d)r′. Since 6[PQO2O1]=[ABC], we get 6(c+2z−d)=c+2z+d. This implies z=107d−5c.(3) Comparing (2) and (3), we solve (107d−5c)2=s(s−c)=4(d+c)(d−c). This is the same as (3d−5c)(4d−5c)=0. Therefore, we have cd=35,45. Both values are possible. For example, when (a,b,c)=(5,5,6), (5,5,8), both △AMC and △BMC are right-angled triangles with side lengths 3, 4, 5. It is easy to find r′=1 and verify 6[PQO2O1]=12=[ABC].
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