Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Find the answer

Cyclic pentagon ABCDEABCDE has side lengths AB=BC=5,CD=DE=12AB=BC=5, CD=DE=12, and AE=14AE=14. Determine the radius of its circumcircle.

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

Solution

Let CC^{\prime} be the point on minor arc BCDBCD such that BC=12BC^{\prime}=12 and CD=5C^{\prime}D=5, and write AC=BD=CE=x,AD=yAC^{\prime}=BD=C^{\prime}E=x, AD=y, and BD=zBD=z. Ptolemy applied to quadrilaterals ABCD,BCDEABC^{\prime}D, BC^{\prime}DE, and ABDEABDE gives x2=12y+52x2=5z+122yz=14x+512\begin{aligned} & x^{2}=12y+5^{2} \\ & x^{2}=5z+12^{2} \\ & yz=14x+5 \cdot 12 \end{aligned} Then (x252)(x2122)=512yz=51214x+52122\left(x^{2}-5^{2}\right)\left(x^{2}-12^{2}\right)=5 \cdot 12yz=5 \cdot 12 \cdot 14x+5^{2} \cdot 12^{2} from which x3169x51214=0x^{3}-169x-5 \cdot 12 \cdot 14=0. Noting that x>13x>13, the rational root theorem leads quickly to the root x=15x=15. Then triangle BCDBCD has area 161411=811\sqrt{16 \cdot 1 \cdot 4 \cdot 11}=8\sqrt{11} and circumradius R=512154811=R=\frac{5 \cdot 12 \cdot 15}{4 \cdot 8\sqrt{11}}= 2251188\frac{225\sqrt{11}}{88}.

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