Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 8 / 8 of 180 #1708 of 2000

Problem 1708

IMO Shortlist mid-range; USAMO P2/P5
Algebra Difficulty 8.0 Prove it

Two right angled triangles are given, such that the incircle of the first one is equal to the circumcircle of the second one. Let SS (respectively SS') be the area of the first triangle (respectively of the second triangle).

Prove that SS3+22\frac{S}{S'}\geq 3+2\sqrt{2}.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

1. Let ABC \triangle ABC be the first right-angled triangle with the right angle at C C , and sides a=BC a = BC , b=CA b = CA , c=AB c = AB . Let ABC \triangle A'B'C' be the second right-angled triangle with the right angle at C C' , and sides a=BC a' = B'C' , b=CA b' = C'A' , c=AB c' = A'B' .

2. According to the problem, the inradius r r of ABC \triangle ABC equals the circumradius of ABC \triangle A'B'C' . The circumradius of a right-angled triangle is half of its hypotenuse. Therefore, the circumradius of ABC \triangle A'B'C' is c2 \frac{c'}{2} . Given that this is equal to r r , we have:
r=c2    c=2r r = \frac{c'}{2} \implies c' = 2r

3. By the Pythagorean theorem applied to ABC \triangle A'B'C' :
c2=a2+b2 c'^2 = a'^2 + b'^2
Substituting c=2r c' = 2r :
(2r)2=a2+b2    4r2=a2+b2 (2r)^2 = a'^2 + b'^2 \implies 4r^2 = a'^2 + b'^2

4. The area S S' of ABC \triangle A'B'C' is:
S=12ab S' = \frac{1}{2} a' b'

5. Using the inequality 2xyx2+y2 2xy \leq x^2 + y^2 for any real numbers x x and y y :
2aba2+b2 2a'b' \leq a'^2 + b'^2
Substituting a2+b2=4r2 a'^2 + b'^2 = 4r^2 :
2ab4r2    ab2r2 2a'b' \leq 4r^2 \implies a'b' \leq 2r^2
Therefore:
S=12ab122r2=r2 S' = \frac{1}{2} a'b' \leq \frac{1}{2} \cdot 2r^2 = r^2

6. By a known lemma, the area S S of ABC \triangle ABC is given by:
S=r2cotA2cotB2cotC2 S = r^2 \cot \frac{A}{2} \cot \frac{B}{2} \cot \frac{C}{2}
Since C=90 C = 90^\circ , we have C2=45 \frac{C}{2} = 45^\circ and cot45=1 \cot 45^\circ = 1 . Thus:
S=r2cotA2cotB2 S = r^2 \cot \frac{A}{2} \cot \frac{B}{2}

7. The angles A A and B B are the acute angles of the right-angled triangle ABC \triangle ABC , so 0<A<90 0^\circ < A < 90^\circ and 0<B<90 0^\circ < B < 90^\circ . Consequently, 0<A2<45 0^\circ < \frac{A}{2} < 45^\circ and 0<B2<45 0^\circ < \frac{B}{2} < 45^\circ .

8. Using the inequality tanA2tanB2tanA2+B22 \sqrt{\tan \frac{A}{2} \tan \frac{B}{2}} \leq \tan \frac{\frac{A}{2} + \frac{B}{2}}{2} :
tanA2tanB2tanA+B4 \sqrt{\tan \frac{A}{2} \tan \frac{B}{2}} \leq \tan \frac{A + B}{4}
Since A+B=90 A + B = 90^\circ :
tanA+B4=tan904=tan22.5=21 \tan \frac{A + B}{4} = \tan \frac{90^\circ}{4} = \tan 22.5^\circ = \sqrt{2} - 1
Therefore:
tanA2tanB221 \sqrt{\tan \frac{A}{2} \tan \frac{B}{2}} \leq \sqrt{2} - 1

9. Squaring both sides:
tanA2tanB2(21)2=322+1=322 \tan \frac{A}{2} \tan \frac{B}{2} \leq (\sqrt{2} - 1)^2 = 3 - 2\sqrt{2} + 1 = 3 - 2\sqrt{2}

10. Hence:
S=r2cotA2cotB2=r2tanA2tanB2r2(21)2=r2(3+22) S = r^2 \cot \frac{A}{2} \cot \frac{B}{2} = \frac{r^2}{\tan \frac{A}{2} \tan \frac{B}{2}} \geq \frac{r^2}{(\sqrt{2} - 1)^2} = r^2 (3 + 2\sqrt{2})

11. Combining this with Sr2 S' \leq r^2 :
SSr2(3+22)r2=3+22 \frac{S}{S'} \geq \frac{r^2 (3 + 2\sqrt{2})}{r^2} = 3 + 2\sqrt{2}

Therefore, we have proved that:
SS3+22 \frac{S}{S'} \geq 3 + 2\sqrt{2}

\blacksquare

The final answer is SS3+22 \boxed{ \frac{S}{S'} \geq 3 + 2\sqrt{2} }

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