2015 AIME I Problem 7

Attempt Problem 7 of the 2015 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 2015 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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7.

In the diagram below, ABCDABCD is a square. Point EE is the midpoint of AD.\overline{AD}. Points FF and GG lie on CE,\overline{CE}, and HH and JJ lie on AB\overline{AB} and BC,\overline{BC}, respectively, so that FGHJFGHJ is a square. Points KK and LL lie on GH,\overline{GH}, and MM and NN lie on AD\overline{AD} and AB,\overline{AB}, respectively, so that KLMNKLMN is a square. The area of KLMNKLMN is 99.99. Find the area of FGHJ.FGHJ.

Answer: 539
Concepts:similaritysquare (geometry)right triangle
Difficulty rating: 2710
Solution:

Let AE=s,AE = s, so the big square has side 2s2s and CE=s5.CE = s\sqrt{5}. The right triangles CDE,CDE, JFC,JFC, HBJ,HBJ, NKH,NKH, and MANMAN are all similar, with legs in ratio 1:2.1 : 2. Let xx be the side of FGHJ.FGHJ. In HBJ\triangle HBJ the hypotenuse is HJ=x,HJ = x, so BJ=x5BJ = \frac{x}{\sqrt{5}} and HB=2x5;HB = \frac{2x}{\sqrt{5}}; in JFC\triangle JFC the longer leg is JF=x,JF = x, so the hypotenuse is JC=x52.JC = \frac{x\sqrt{5}}{2}. Then 2s=BC=BJ+JC=x(15+52)=7x25, \begin{aligned} 2s = BC &= BJ + JC \\ &= x\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{5}} + \frac{\sqrt{5}}{2}\right) \\ &= \frac{7x}{2\sqrt{5}}, \end{aligned} so x=45s7.x = \frac{4\sqrt{5}\,s}{7}.

Next, AH=2sHB=2s8s7AH = 2s - HB = 2s - \frac{8s}{7} =6s7.= \frac{6s}{7}. The identical decomposition along AB\overline{AB} for the square KLMNKLMN of side yy gives 6s7=AH=AN+NH\frac{6s}{7} = AH = AN + NH =y(15+52).= y\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{5}} + \frac{\sqrt{5}}{2}\right). Dividing the two equations, xy=2s6s/7=73.\frac{x}{y} = \frac{2s}{6s/7} = \frac{7}{3}.

The areas are therefore in ratio (73)2=499,\left(\frac{7}{3}\right)^2 = \frac{49}{9}, so the area of FGHJFGHJ is 99499=539.99 \cdot \frac{49}{9} = 539.

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