1987 AIME Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 1987 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 1987 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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15.

Squares S1,S_1, S2S_2 are inscribed in right triangle ABCABC as shown. Find AC+CBAC+CB if area(S1)=441\operatorname{area}(S_1)=441 and area(S2)=440.\operatorname{area}(S_2)=440.

Answer: 462
Concepts:right trianglesimilaritysquare (geometry)
Difficulty rating: 2450
Small Hint:

Let the legs be aa and bb and use the first square to relate abab to a+ba+b

Big Hint:

For the second square, use the altitude to the hypotenuse and similar cross-sections

Solution:

Put p=a+b,p=a+b, q=ab,q=ab, and let the hypotenuse be c.c. Since S1S_1 has side 21,21, the standard leg-aligned-square relation gives 21=aba+b,21=\frac{ab}{a+b}, so q=21p.q=21p. Hence c2=p22q=p(p42).c^2=p^2-2q=p(p-42).

The altitude to the hypotenuse is h=qc.h=\frac{q}{c}. If the side of S2S_2 is t,t, similarity gives t=chc+h.t=\frac{ch}{c+h}. Substitution simplifies this to t=21cp21.t=\frac{21c}{p-21}. Therefore 440=441p(p42)(p21)2.440=\frac{441p(p-42)}{(p-21)^2}. Since p(p42)=(p21)2441,p(p-42)=(p-21)^2-441, this becomes 440=441(1441(p21)2).440=441\left(1-\frac{441}{(p-21)^2}\right). Thus (p21)2=4412,(p-21)^2=441^2, and p>42p>42 gives p=462.p=462.

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