2003 AIME II Problem 11

Attempt Problem 11 of the 2003 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 2003 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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11.

Triangle ABCABC is a right triangle with AC=7,AC = 7, BC=24,BC = 24, and right angle at C.C. Point MM is the midpoint of AB,\overline{AB}, and DD is on the same side of line ABAB as CC so that AD=BD=15.AD = BD = 15. Given that the area of CDM\triangle CDM can be expressed as mnp,\frac{m\sqrt{n}}{p}, where m,m, n,n, and pp are positive integers, mm and pp are relatively prime, and nn is not divisible by the square of any prime, find m+n+p.m + n + p.

Answer: 578
Concepts:median (geometry)law of cosinestriangle area
Difficulty rating: 2840
Solution:

The hypotenuse is AB=72+242=25,AB = \sqrt{7^2 + 24^2} = 25, and the median to the hypotenuse gives CM=252.CM = \frac{25}{2}. Since AD=BD,AD = BD, point DD lies on the perpendicular to ABAB at M,M, so DMABDM \perp AB and DM=152(252)2=2754=5112. \begin{aligned} DM &= \sqrt{15^2 - \left(\tfrac{25}{2}\right)^2} \\ &= \sqrt{\tfrac{275}{4}} = \tfrac{5\sqrt{11}}{2}. \end{aligned}

Let β=AMC.\beta = \angle AMC. In triangle AMCAMC with AM=CM=252AM = CM = \frac{25}{2} and AC=7,AC = 7, the law of cosines gives cosβ=(252)2+(252)2722252252=527625. \begin{aligned} \cos\beta &= \frac{\left(\frac{25}{2}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{25}{2}\right)^2 - 7^2} {2 \cdot \frac{25}{2} \cdot \frac{25}{2}} \\ &= \frac{527}{625}. \end{aligned} Since CC and DD are on the same side of ABAB and MDAB,MD \perp AB, we have CMD=90β,\angle CMD = 90^\circ - \beta, so sinCMD=cosβ.\sin\angle CMD = \cos\beta.

Therefore [CDM]=122525112527625=5271140, \begin{aligned} [CDM] &= \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{25}{2} \cdot \frac{5\sqrt{11}}{2} \cdot \frac{527}{625} \\ &= \frac{527\sqrt{11}}{40}, \end{aligned} and m+n+p=527+11+40m + n + p = 527 + 11 + 40 =578.= 578.

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