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Geometry Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it

Given the ellipse x2a2+y2b2=1  (a>b>0)\frac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+ \frac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1\;(a > b > 0) with its left focus at F(1,0)F(-1,0), and the minimum distance from any point on the ellipse to point FF is 21\sqrt{2}-1.

(1) Find the equation of the ellipse;
(2) Given that the moving line ll passing through point FF intersects the ellipse at two distinct points AA and BB, and point M(54,0)M(- \frac{5}{4},0), prove that MAMB\overline{MA}\cdot \overline{MB} is constant.

Solution

(1) Solution: Given that the minimum distance from any point on the ellipse to point F(1,0)F(-1,0) is 21\sqrt{2}-1, we have the following system of equations:

{c=1ac=21\begin{cases} c=1 \\ a-c=\sqrt{2}-1 \end{cases}

Solving this system, we get:

{a=2c=1\begin{cases} a=\sqrt{2} \\ c=1 \end{cases}

Since b2=a2c2=1b^{2}=a^{2}-c^{2}=1, the equation of the ellipse is x22+y2=1\frac{x^{2}}{2}+y^{2}=1.

(2) Proof:

(i)\text{(i)} When line ll is vertical, its equation is x=1x=-1. We can find that A(1,22)A(-1, \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}) and B(1,22)B(-1,-\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}). In this case, MAMB=(1+54,22)(1+54,22)=716\overline{MA}\cdot \overline{MB}=(-1+\frac{5}{4}, \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2})\cdot (-1+\frac{5}{4},-\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2})=-\frac{7}{16}.

(ii)\text{(ii)} When line ll is not vertical, let the equation of line ll be y=k(x+1)y=k(x+1). Solving the system of equations:

{y=k(x+1)x22+y2=1\begin{cases} y=k(x+1) \\ \frac{x^{2}}{2}+y^{2}=1 \end{cases}

We get the quadratic equation (1+2k2)x2+4k2x+2k22=0(1+2k^{2})x^{2}+4k^{2}x+2k^{2}-2=0. Let A(x1,y1)A(x_{1},y_{1}) and B(x2,y2)B(x_{2},y_{2}), then x1+x2=4k21+2k2x_{1}+x_{2}=-\frac{4k^{2}}{1+2k^{2}} and x1x2=2k221+2k2x_{1}x_{2}=\frac{2k^{2}-2}{1+2k^{2}}.

Thus, MAMB=(x1+54,y1)(x2+54,y2)=(x1+54)(x2+54)+y1y2\overline{MA}\cdot \overline{MB}=(x_{1}+\frac{5}{4},y_{1})\cdot (x_{2}+\frac{5}{4},y_{2})=(x_{1}+\frac{5}{4})(x_{2}+\frac{5}{4})+y_{1}y_{2}

=x1x2+54(x1+x2)+2516+k(x1+1)(kx2+1)=x_{1}x_{2}+\frac{5}{4}(x_{1}+x_{2})+\frac{25}{16}+k(x_{1}+1)(kx_{2}+1)

=(1+k2)x1x2+(k2+54)(x1+x2)+k2+2516=(1+k^{2})x_{1}x_{2}+(k^{2}+\frac{5}{4})(x_{1}+x_{2})+k^{2}+\frac{25}{16}

=(1+k2)2k221+2k2+(k2+54)(4k21+2k2)+k2+2516=(1+k^{2})\frac{2k^{2}-2}{1+2k^{2}}+(k^{2}+\frac{5}{4})(-\frac{4k^{2}}{1+2k^{2}})+k^{2}+\frac{25}{16}

=4k221+2k2+2516=\frac{-4k^{2}-2}{1+2k^{2}}+\frac{25}{16}

=2+2516=-2+\frac{25}{16}

=716=-\frac{7}{16}.

Therefore, MAMB\overline{MA}\cdot \overline{MB} is constant, and its value is 716\boxed{-\frac{7}{16}}.

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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.