2000 AIME I Problem 14

Attempt Problem 14 of the 2000 AIME I 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 2000 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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14.

In triangle ABC,ABC, it is given that angles BB and CC are congruent. Points PP and QQ lie on AC\overline{AC} and AB,\overline{AB}, respectively, so that AP=PQ=QB=BC.AP = PQ = QB = BC. Angle ACBACB is rr times as large as angle APQ,APQ, where rr is a positive real number. Find the greatest integer that does not exceed 1000r.1000r.

Answer: 571
Concepts:isosceles trianglelaw of sinestrigonometric identity
Difficulty rating: 2990
Solution:

Let A=α,\angle A = \alpha, and scale so AP=PQ=QB=BC=1.AP = PQ = QB = BC = 1. In triangle APQ,APQ, the equal sides AP=PQAP = PQ give AQP=A=α,\angle AQP = \angle A = \alpha, so APQ=1802α\angle APQ = 180^\circ - 2\alpha and, by the law of sines, AQ=sin2αsinα=2cosα.AQ = \frac{\sin 2\alpha}{\sin \alpha} = 2\cos\alpha. In triangle ABC,ABC, B=C=90α2,\angle B = \angle C = 90^\circ - \frac{\alpha}{2}, so AB=BCsinCsinA=cos(α/2)sinα=12sin(α/2). \begin{aligned} AB &= \frac{BC \sin C}{\sin A} \\ &= \frac{\cos(\alpha/2)}{\sin\alpha} = \frac{1}{2\sin(\alpha/2)}. \end{aligned}

Since AQ+QB=AB,AQ + QB = AB, 2cosα+1=12sin(α/2)4sinα2cosα+2sinα2=1. \begin{aligned} 2\cos\alpha + 1 &= \frac{1}{2\sin(\alpha/2)} \\ &\quad\Longrightarrow\quad 4\sin\tfrac{\alpha}{2}\cos\alpha \\ &\quad {}+ 2\sin\tfrac{\alpha}{2} = 1. \end{aligned} By the product-to-sum identity, 4sinα2cosα4\sin\frac{\alpha}{2}\cos\alpha =2sin3α2= 2\sin\frac{3\alpha}{2} 2sinα2,- 2\sin\frac{\alpha}{2}, so the equation collapses to sin3α2=12.\sin\frac{3\alpha}{2} = \frac{1}{2}. Then α=20\alpha = 20^\circ or α=100,\alpha = 100^\circ, but the latter makes AQ=2cosαAQ = 2\cos\alpha negative, so α=20.\alpha = 20^\circ.

Now ACB=80\angle ACB = 80^\circ and APQ=140,\angle APQ = 140^\circ, so r=80140=47,r = \frac{80}{140} = \frac{4}{7}, and 1000r=40007=571.\lfloor 1000r \rfloor = \left\lfloor \frac{4000}{7} \right\rfloor = 571.

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