2002 AIME II Problem 15

Attempt Problem 15 of the 2002 AIME II 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 II solutions, or check the answer key.

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15.

Circles C1\mathcal{C}_1 and C2\mathcal{C}_2 intersect at two points, one of which is (9,6),(9, 6), and the product of their radii is 68.68. The xx-axis and the line y=mx,y = mx, where m>0,m \gt 0, are tangent to both circles. It is given that mm can be written in the form ab/c,a\sqrt{b}/c, where a,a, b,b, and cc are positive integers, bb is not divisible by the square of any prime, and aa and cc are relatively prime. Find a+b+c.a + b + c.

Answer: 282
Concepts:tangent lineangle bisectortrigonometric identityVieta’s Formulas
Difficulty rating: 3370
Solution:

Both circles are tangent to the xx-axis and to y=mx,y = mx, so both centers lie on the bisector of the first-quadrant angle between those lines. If the bisector makes angle α\alpha with the xx-axis, then m=tan2α,m = \tan 2\alpha, and each center has the form (xi,xitanα)(x_i, \, x_i \tan\alpha) with radius ri=xitanαr_i = x_i \tan\alpha (its distance to the xx-axis).

Since (9,6)(9, 6) lies on each circle, (9xi)2+(6xitanα)2(9 - x_i)^2 + (6 - x_i \tan\alpha)^2 =xi2tan2α,= x_i^2 \tan^2\alpha, which expands to xi2(18+12tanα)xi+117=0. \begin{aligned} &x_i^2 - (18 + 12\tan\alpha)\,x_i + 117 \\ &= 0. \end{aligned} Both x1x_1 and x2x_2 satisfy this one quadratic, so by Vieta's formulas x1x2=117.x_1 x_2 = 117. Then r1r2r_1 r_2 =x1x2tan2α= x_1 x_2 \tan^2\alpha =117tan2α= 117 \tan^2\alpha =68,= 68, so tan2α=68117\tan^2\alpha = \frac{68}{117} and tanα=217313.\tan\alpha = \frac{2\sqrt{17}}{3\sqrt{13}}.

Finally, m=2tanα1tan2α=2tanα49/117=23449217313=156174913=1222149, \begin{aligned} m &= \frac{2\tan\alpha}{1 - \tan^2\alpha} \\ &= \frac{2\tan\alpha}{49/117} \\ &= \frac{234}{49} \cdot \frac{2\sqrt{17}}{3\sqrt{13}} \\ &= \frac{156\sqrt{17}}{49\sqrt{13}} \\ &= \frac{12\sqrt{221}}{49}, \end{aligned} so a+b+ca + b + c =12+221+49= 12 + 221 + 49 =282.= 282.

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