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Geometry Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it

(1) For a square ABCDA B C D with side length 1, draw four circles with radius 1, each centered at one of its four vertices. In the intersection SS of these four circles, there exist at least two points PP and QQ such that the line segment PQ=31P Q=\sqrt{3}-1.

(2) For a cube ABCDA1B1C1D1A B C D-A_{1} B_{1} C_{1} D_{1} with edge length 1, draw eight spheres with radius 1, each centered at one of its eight vertices. In the intersection SS of these eight spheres, there exist at least two points PP and QQ such that the line segment PQ=21P Q=\sqrt{2}-1.

Solution

Prove as shown in the figure, connect the midpoints HH and GG of ABAB and CDCD. On the line segment GHGH, take PH=32PH = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}. It is easy to see that
PA=PB=1,PC=PD=(12)2+(132)2=12(23). \begin{aligned} PA & = PB = 1, \\ PC & = PD = \sqrt{\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2} + \left(1 - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right)^{2}} \\ & = \frac{1}{2}(2 - \sqrt{3}). \end{aligned}

Thus, point PP \in the intersection of the four circles SS.
Similarly, on GHGH, take GQ=32GQ = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}, then QSQ \in S.

And
PQ=PHQH=3212(23)4=H31 \begin{array}{l} PQ = PH - QH \\ = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} - \frac{1}{2}(2 - \sqrt{3})^{4} = \sqrt{\frac{H}{3} - 1} \end{array}

satisfies the given condition.
Prove on the line connecting the centers of the top and bottom faces of the cube OO1\mathrm{OO}_{1}, take point PP such that PO=22PO = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}. It is easy to see that PA=PB=PC=PD=1PA = PB = PC = PD = 1,
PA1=PB1=PC1=PD1=22<1, PA_{1} = PB_{1} = PC_{1} = PD_{1} = 2 - \sqrt{2} < 1,

i.e., point PP \in the intersection SS.
Similarly, take QO1=22QO_{1} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}, QOO1Q \in OO_{1}, then QSQ \in S.
Thus, PQ=POQC.=22122=21 \text{Thus, } \begin{aligned} PQ & = PO - QC. \\ & = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} - \frac{1 - \sqrt{2}}{2} = \sqrt{2} - 1 \end{aligned}

satisfies the given condition.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.