2002 AIME I Problem 13

Attempt Problem 13 of the 2002 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 2002 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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

13.

In triangle ABC,ABC, the medians AD\overline{AD} and CE\overline{CE} have lengths 1818 and 27,27, respectively, and AB=24.AB = 24. Extend CE\overline{CE} to intersect the circumcircle of ABCABC at F.F. The area of triangle AFBAFB is mn,m\sqrt{n}, where mm and nn are positive integers and nn is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 63
Concepts:power of a pointcentroidarea ratio
Difficulty rating: 2990
Solution:

Since EE is the midpoint of AB,\overline{AB}, AE=EB=12.AE = EB = 12. Let PP be the centroid, which trisects the medians: AP=2318=12AP = \frac{2}{3} \cdot 18 = 12 and PE=1327=9.PE = \frac{1}{3} \cdot 27 = 9. By the power of the point EE with respect to the circumcircle, EFEC=EAEB=144,EF \cdot EC = EA \cdot EB = 144, so EF=14427=163.EF = \frac{144}{27} = \frac{16}{3}.

Triangle AEPAEP is isosceles with AE=AP=12AE = AP = 12 and base PE=9,PE = 9, so the altitude from AA to PE\overline{PE} is 144814=3552,\sqrt{144 - \frac{81}{4}} = \frac{3\sqrt{55}}{2}, giving [AEP]=1293552=27554.[AEP] = \frac{1}{2} \cdot 9 \cdot \frac{3\sqrt{55}}{2} = \frac{27\sqrt{55}}{4}. Since FF and PP both lie on line CE,CE, triangles AEFAEF and AEPAEP share the apex AA and have collinear bases, so [AEF]=EFEP[AEP]=16/3927554=455. \begin{aligned} [AEF] &= \frac{EF}{EP}\,[AEP] \\ &= \frac{16/3}{9} \cdot \frac{27\sqrt{55}}{4} \\ &= 4\sqrt{55}. \end{aligned}

Finally, since EE is the midpoint of AB,\overline{AB}, [AFB]=2[AFE]=855,[AFB] = 2\,[AFE] = 8\sqrt{55}, and m+n=8+55=63.m + n = 8 + 55 = 63.

← Problem 12#12
Full Exam

Problem 13 in Other Years