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Geometry Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Find the answer

Circles C1,C2,C3C_{1}, C_{2}, C_{3} have radius 1 and centers O,P,QO, P, Q respectively. C1C_{1} and C2C_{2} intersect at A,C2A, C_{2} and C3C_{3} intersect at B,C3B, C_{3} and C1C_{1} intersect at CC, in such a way that APB=60,BQC=36\angle A P B=60^{\circ}, \angle B Q C=36^{\circ}, and COA=72\angle C O A=72^{\circ}. Find angle ABCA B C (degrees).

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Using a little trig, we have BC=2sin18,AC=2sin36B C=2 \sin 18, A C=2 \sin 36, and AB=2sin30A B=2 \sin 30 (see left diagram). Call these a,ba, b, and cc, respectively. By the law of cosines, b2=a2+c22accosABCb^{2}=a^{2}+c^{2}-2 a c \cos A B C, therefore cosABC=sin218+sin230sin2362sin18sin30\cos A B C=\frac{\sin ^{2} 18+\sin ^{2} 30-\sin ^{2} 36}{2 \sin 18 \sin 30}. In the right diagram below we let x=2sin18x=2 \sin 18 and see that x+x2=1x+x^{2}=1, hence sin18=1+54\sin 18=\frac{-1+\sqrt{5}}{4}. Using whatever trig identities you prefer you can find that sin236=554\sin ^{2} 36=\frac{5-\sqrt{5}}{4}, and of course sin30=12\sin 30=\frac{1}{2}. Now simplification yields sin218+sin230sin236=0\sin ^{2} 18+\sin ^{2} 30-\sin ^{2} 36=0, so ABC=90\angle A B C=\mathbf{90}^{\circ}. Note that this means that if a regular pentagon, hexagon, and decagon are inscribed in a circle, then we can take one side from each and form a right triangle.

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