1989 AIME Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 1989 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 1989 AIME solutions, or check the answer key.

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15.

Point PP is inside triangle ABC.ABC. Line segments APD,APD, BPE,BPE, and CPFCPF are drawn with DD on BC,BC, EE on AC,AC, and FF on ABAB (see the figure). Given that AP=6,AP=6, BP=9,BP=9, PD=6,PD=6, PE=3,PE=3, and CF=20,CF=20, find the area of triangle ABC.ABC.

Answer: 108
Concepts:area ratiotriangle areavector
Difficulty rating: 3060
Small Hint:

Use the two known cevian ratios to find the barycentric weights of AA and BB at PP

Big Hint:

Place PP at the origin; the resulting vector relation determines the angle between PAPA and PBPB

Solution:

Since AP=PD,AP=PD, the barycentric weight of AA at PP is 12.\frac{1}{2}. Since BP:PE=3:1,BP:PE=3:1, the weight of BB is 14,\frac{1}{4}, so the weight of CC is also 14.\frac{1}{4}. Along CF,CF, this means PFCF=14,\frac{PF}{CF}=\frac{1}{4}, hence PF=5PF=5 and CP=15.CP=15.

Place PP at the origin and denote the position vectors A,A, B,B, and CC by the same letters. The barycentric relation is 2A+B+C=0.2A+B+C=0. Thus C=2AB.C=-2A-B. Using A=6,|A|=6, B=9,|B|=9, and C=15,|C|=15, 225=2A+B2=4(36)+81+4AB,\begin{aligned}225&=|2A+B|^2\\&=4(36)+81+4A\mathbin{\cdot}B,\end{aligned} so AB=0.A\mathbin{\cdot}B=0. Therefore PAPB.PA\perp PB. Expanding the cross product gives (BA)×(CA)=4(A×B).(B-A)\mathbin{\times}(C-A)=4(A\mathbin{\times}B). Consequently, [ABC]=2A×B=2(6)(9)=108.\begin{aligned}{}[ABC]&=2|A\mathbin{\times}B|\\&=2(6)(9)=108.\end{aligned}

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