1983 AIME Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 1983 AIME below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1983 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

15.

The adjoining figure shows two intersecting chords in a circle, with BB on minor arc AD.AD. Suppose that the radius of the circle is 5,5, that BC=6,BC=6, and that ADAD is bisected by BC.BC. Suppose further that ADAD is the only chord starting at AA which is bisected by BC.BC. It follows that the sine of the minor arc ABAB is a rational number. If this fraction is expressed as a fraction mn\frac{m}{n} in lowest terms, what is the product mn?mn?

Answer: 175
Concepts:chordtangent linepower of a pointcoordinate geometry
Difficulty rating: 3270
Small Hint:

The midpoints of all chords from AA lie on the circle with diameter joining AA to the center

Big Hint:

Uniqueness makes BCBC tangent to that midpoint circle at the midpoint of ADAD

Solution:

Let HH be the midpoint of AD.AD. Put H=(0,0),H=(0,0), A=(a,0),A=(-a,0), D=(a,0),D=(a,0), and let the circle’s center be O=(0,k).O=(0,k). Then a2+k2=25.a^2+k^2=25. The midpoints of all chords starting at AA form the circle with center A+O2\frac{A+O}{2} and radius 52.\frac{5}{2}. Because ADAD is the only such chord bisected by the line BC,BC, that line is tangent to the midpoint circle at H.H.

Hence a unit direction vector for BCBC may be taken as u=(k,a)5,u=\frac{(k,a)}{5}, perpendicular to A+O=(a,k).A+O=(-a,k). Write B=puB=-pu and C=qu,C=qu, where p,q>0.p,q>0. Then p+q=6,p+q=6, and intersecting chords give pq=a2.pq=a^2. Substituting the line into the original circle also gives qp=2uO=2ak5. q-p=2u\mathbin{\cdot}O=\frac{2ak}{5}. Therefore 364a2=(qp)2=4a2(25a2)25, \begin{aligned} 36-4a^2&=(q-p)^2\\ &=\frac{4a^2(25-a^2)}{25}, \end{aligned} so a450a2+225=0.a^4-50a^2+225=0. Its roots are a2=5a^2=5 and 45,45, but a2=pq(p+q)24=9.a^2=pq\leq\frac{(p+q)^2}{4}=9. Thus a2=5,a^2=5, and {p,q}={1,5}.\{p,q\}=\{1,5\}.

Choose a=5,a=\sqrt5, k=25,k=2\sqrt5, and p=1p=1 for the endpoint BB on minor arc AD.AD. Then OA=(5,25),OB=(25,115). \begin{aligned} \overrightarrow{OA} &=(-\sqrt5,-2\sqrt5),\\ \overrightarrow{OB} &=\left(-\frac2{\sqrt5}, -\frac{11}{\sqrt5}\right). \end{aligned} The sine of the central angle subtending minor arc ABAB is the absolute determinant of these radius vectors divided by 52,5^2, namely sinAB=11425=725. \sin\overset{\frown}{AB}=\frac{|11-4|}{25}=\frac7{25}. Hence mn=725=175.mn=7\cdot25=175.

← Problem 14#14
Full Exam

Problem 15 in Other Years