2008 AIME II Problem 14

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Concepts:equilateral triangledistance formulatrigonometryoptimization

Difficulty rating: 3270

14.

Let aa and bb be positive real numbers with ab.a \ge b. Let ρ\rho be the maximum possible value of ab\frac{a}{b} for which the system of equations a2+y2=b2+x2=(ax)2+(by)2a^2 + y^2 = b^2 + x^2 = (a - x)^2 + (b - y)^2 has a solution (x,y)(x, y) satisfying 0x<a0 \le x \lt a and 0y<b.0 \le y \lt b. Then ρ2\rho^2 can be expressed as a fraction mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Draw the rectangle with vertices A=(0,0),A = (0, 0), B=(a,0),B = (a, 0), C=(a,b),C = (a, b), D=(0,b),D = (0, b), and let E=(x,0)E = (x, 0) on AB\overline{AB} and F=(a,by)F = (a, b - y) on BC.\overline{BC}. Then DE2=b2+x2,DE^2 = b^2 + x^2, DF2=a2+y2,DF^2 = a^2 + y^2, and EF2=(ax)2+(by)2,EF^2 = (a - x)^2 + (b - y)^2, so the system says exactly that triangle DEFDEF is equilateral, with the constraints keeping EE and FF on those two sides.

Let θ=ADE,\theta = \angle ADE, so x=btanθx = b\tan\theta and DE=bcosθ.DE = \frac{b}{\cos\theta}. Since EDF=60\angle EDF = 60^\circ and the corner angle at DD is 90,90^\circ, we get CDF=30θ,\angle CDF = 30^\circ - \theta, so y=atan(30θ)y = a\tan(30^\circ - \theta) and DF=acos(30θ).DF = \frac{a}{\cos(30^\circ - \theta)}. Setting DE=DFDE = DF gives ab=cos(30θ)cosθ=cos30+sin30tanθ,\frac{a}{b} = \frac{\cos(30^\circ - \theta)}{\cos\theta} = \cos 30^\circ + \sin 30^\circ \tan\theta, which is increasing in θ.\theta. The requirement y0y \ge 0 forces θ30.\theta \le 30^\circ.

The maximum is therefore at θ=30,\theta = 30^\circ, where ab=32+123=23,\frac{a}{b} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} + \frac{1}{2\sqrt{3}} = \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}}, attained with y=0y = 0 and x=b3<a.x = \frac{b}{\sqrt{3}} \lt a. Hence ρ2=43,\rho^2 = \frac{4}{3}, and m+n=4+3=7.m + n = 4 + 3 = 7.

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