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Geometry Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Find the answer

In convex quadrilateral ABCD ABCD, AB a\text{AB a}, BC b\text{BC b}, CD c\text{CD c}, DA d\text{DA d}, AC e\text{AC e}, BD f\text{BD f}. If a,b,c,d,e,f 1\text{a,b,c,d,e,f 1}, then find the maximum value of abcd abcd.

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Given a convex quadrilateral ABCDABCD with side lengths AB=aAB = a, BC=bBC = b, CD=cCD = c, DA=dDA = d, and diagonals AC=eAC = e, BD=fBD = f, where max{a,b,c,d,e,f}=1\max \{a, b, c, d, e, f\} = 1, we aim to find the maximum value of abcdabcd.

We claim that the maximum value of abcdabcd is 232 - \sqrt{3}.

To show that this value is attainable, consider an equilateral triangle ABC\triangle ABC with side length 1. Let DD be the unique point such that BD=1BD = 1, DA=DCDA = DC, and ABCDABCD is a convex quadrilateral. In this configuration, we have:
abcd=112cos152cos15=23. abcd = 1 \cdot 1 \cdot 2 \cos 15^\circ \cdot 2 \cos 15^\circ = 2 - \sqrt{3}.

To prove that this is the optimal value, we redefine "convex" to permit angles of the quadrilateral to be 180180^\circ. We call a convex quadrilateral satisfying the conditions of the problem a "tapir" if it has the maximum possible area. We show that all tapirs have area 23\leq 2 - \sqrt{3}, and we already know that all tapirs have area 23\geq 2 - \sqrt{3}.

### Lemma 1
No tasty quadrilateral has three collinear vertices.

Proof: Suppose A,B,CA, B, C were collinear. Then, we have:
ADDCCBBA1114(AB+BC)211141=14<23, AD \cdot DC \cdot CB \cdot BA \leq 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \frac{1}{4} (AB + BC)^2 \leq 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \frac{1}{4} \cdot 1 = \frac{1}{4} < 2 - \sqrt{3},
which contradicts the fact that ABCDABCD was a tapir.
\blacksquare

### Lemma 2
For every tapir ABCDABCD, we have that (A,C)(A, C) and (B,D)(B, D) are both tasty.

Proof: Start with an arbitrary tapir ABCDABCD. Suppose (A,C)(A, C) was not tasty. If (A,D)(A, D) is also not tasty, then rotating AA away from DD about BB increases ABD\angle ABD and ABC\angle ABC. This process preserves the lengths of AB,BC,CDAB, BC, CD, while increasing the length of ADAD. Since ABCDABCD was a tapir, this process must break some condition of the problem. If A,B,CA, B, C are collinear, it contradicts Lemma 1. Therefore, (A,D)(A, D) must be tasty. By similar reasoning, (A,B),(C,B),(C,D)(A, B), (C, B), (C, D) are all tasty, implying ABCDABCD is a rhombus of side length 1, contradicting AC,BD1AC, BD \leq 1.
\blacksquare

### Lemma 3
All tapirs have at least one side of length 1.

Proof: Assume the contrary. Let θ1,θ2\theta_1, \theta_2 denote BDA,CDB\angle BDA, \angle CDB respectively. By Lemma 1, θ1,θ2>0\theta_1, \theta_2 > 0. By Lemma 2, BD=1BD = 1. Rotating BB about CC decreases θ2\theta_2, preserving c,dc, d. Consider a2b2=(d2+12dcosθ1)(c2+12ccosθ2)a^2 b^2 = (d^2 + 1 - 2d \cos \theta_1) (c^2 + 1 - 2c \cos \theta_2) as a function of θ1\theta_1. The derivative must be zero, implying:
2a2csinθ2=2b2dsinθ1, 2a^2 c \sin \theta_2 = 2b^2 d \sin \theta_1,
yielding:
cdsinθ2sinθ1=b2a2. \frac{c}{d} \cdot \frac{\sin \theta_2}{\sin \theta_1} = \frac{b^2}{a^2}.
By the Sine Law in CDA\triangle CDA, E=BDACE = BD \cap AC satisfies CEEA=b2a2\frac{CE}{EA} = \frac{b^2}{a^2}, making ABCDABCD a cyclic harmonic quadrilateral. Since AC=BD=1AC = BD = 1, ABCDABCD is an isosceles trapezoid. Let EA=EB=x,EC=ED=1xEA = EB = x, EC = ED = 1-x and BEC=θ\angle BEC = \theta. Then:
abcd=4cos2(θ2)x(1x)(x2+(1x)22x(1x)cosθ). abcd = 4 \cos^2 \left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) x (1-x) \cdot \left(x^2 + (1-x)^2 - 2x(1-x) \cos \theta\right).
Noting 4cos2(θ2)=2cosθ+24 \cos^2 \left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = 2 \cos \theta + 2, we rewrite:
[(2cosθ+2)x(1x)][1(2cosθ+2)x(1x)]. [(2 \cos \theta + 2) x (1-x)] \cdot [1 - (2 \cos \theta + 2) x (1-x)].
Letting t=(2cosθ+2)x(1x)t = (2 \cos \theta + 2) x (1-x), the above is t(1t)14<23t(1-t) \leq \frac{1}{4} < 2 - \sqrt{3}, contradicting ABCDABCD being a tapir.
\blacksquare

By Lemmas 1, 2, and 3, all tapirs satisfying CA=AB=BD=1CA = AB = BD = 1 have abcd23abcd \leq 2 - \sqrt{3}. Let PP be the point such that APB\triangle APB is equilateral, and P,C,DP, C, D are on the same side of ABAB. The conditions imply DBA,CAB60\angle DBA, \angle CAB \leq 60^\circ, giving CD1CD \leq 1.

#### Case 1: P{C,D}P \in \{C, D\}
Suppose P=CP = C. Let DBA=2θ\angle DBA = 2\theta for 0θ300 \leq \theta \leq 30^\circ. Then:
abcd=2sinθ2sin(30θ)=2(cos(2θ30)cos30). abcd = 2 \sin \theta \cdot 2 \sin (30^\circ - \theta) = 2(\cos (2\theta - 30^\circ) - \cos 30^\circ).
Maximizing at θ=15\theta = 15^\circ, we get abcd=23abcd = 2 - \sqrt{3}.

#### Case 2: P{C,D}P \notin \{C, D\}
Let CAB=2α,DBA=2β\angle CAB = 2\alpha, \angle DBA = 2\beta with 0α,β300 \leq \alpha, \beta \leq 30^\circ. Then AD,BC=2sinβ,2sinαAD, BC = 2 \sin \beta, 2 \sin \alpha. By Pythagorean Theorem:
c=(cos2α+cos2β1)2+(sin2βsin2α)2. c = \sqrt{(\cos 2\alpha + \cos 2\beta - 1)^2 + (\sin 2\beta - \sin 2\alpha)^2}.
Considering bcdbcd as a function of α\alpha, its derivative must be zero:
2cosαc+2sinαcα=0. 2 \cos \alpha \cdot c + 2 \sin \alpha \cdot \frac{\partial c}{\partial \alpha} = 0.
Thus:
4cosαc2+2(cos2α+cos2β1)(2sin2α)+2(sin2βsin2α)(2cos2α)=0. 4 \cos \alpha \cdot c^2 + 2(\cos 2\alpha + \cos 2\beta - 1)(-2 \sin 2\alpha) + 2(\sin 2\beta - \sin 2\alpha)(-2 \cos 2\alpha) = 0.
Analogously:
4cosβc2+2(2cos2α+cos2β1)(2sin2β)+2(sin2βsin2α)(2cos2β)=0. 4 \cos \beta \cdot c^2 + 2(2 \cos 2\alpha + \cos 2\beta - 1)(-2 \sin 2\beta) + 2(\sin 2\beta - \sin 2\alpha)(-2 \cos 2\beta) = 0.
If α>β\alpha > \beta, the LHS of the first equation is less than the second, contradicting equal RHS's. Thus, α=β\alpha = \beta. Then:
abcd=2sinα2sinα(2cos2α1)=4sin2α(14sin2α). abcd = 2 \sin \alpha \cdot 2 \sin \alpha \cdot (2 \cos 2\alpha - 1) = 4 \sin^2 \alpha \cdot (1 - 4 \sin^2 \alpha).
Letting γ=4sin2α\gamma = 4 \sin^2 \alpha, we get abcd=γ(1γ)14<23abcd = \gamma (1 - \gamma) \leq \frac{1}{4} < 2 - \sqrt{3}, contradicting ABCDABCD being a tapir.

Thus, all tapirs have abcd=23abcd = 2 - \sqrt{3}, and all tapirs are the same up to rotation and relabeling of vertices.

The answer is: 23\boxed{2 - \sqrt{3}}.

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