2016 AIME I Problem 9

Attempt Problem 9 of the 2016 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 2016 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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9.

Triangle ABCABC has AB=40,AB = 40, AC=31,AC = 31, and sin⁡A=15.\sin A = \frac{1}{5}. This triangle is inscribed in rectangle AQRSAQRS with BB on QR‾\overline{QR} and CC on RS‾.\overline{RS}. Find the maximum possible area of AQRS.AQRS.

Answer: 744
Concepts:trigonometric identityrectangleoptimization
Difficulty rating: 2990
Small Hint:

With β=∠BAQ\beta = \angle BAQ and γ=∠CAS,\gamma = \angle CAS, the area is 40cos⁡β⋅31cos⁡γ,40\cos\beta \cdot 31\cos\gamma, and β+γ=90∘−A\beta + \gamma = 90^\circ - A

Big Hint:

Product-to-sum: 2cos⁡βcos⁡γ=cos⁡(β−γ)2\cos\beta\cos\gamma = \cos(\beta - \gamma) +sin⁡A,+ \sin A, maximized when β=γ\beta = \gamma

Solution:

Let β=∠BAQ\beta = \angle BAQ and γ=∠CAS,\gamma = \angle CAS, so β+γ=90∘−A.\beta + \gamma = 90^\circ - A. From the right triangles AQBAQB and ASC,ASC, the sides of the rectangle are AQ=40cos⁡βAQ = 40\cos\beta and AS=31cos⁡γ,AS = 31\cos\gamma, so its area is 40⋅31cos⁡βcos⁡γ=620(cos⁡(β−γ)+cos⁡(β+γ))=620(cos⁡(β−γ)+sin⁡A), \begin{aligned} 40 \cdot 31 \cos\beta\cos\gamma \\ &\tiny = 620\bigl(\cos(\beta - \gamma) + \cos(\beta + \gamma)\bigr) \\ &\tiny = 620\bigl(\cos(\beta - \gamma) + \sin A\bigr), \end{aligned} using the product-to-sum identity and cos⁡(90∘−A)=sin⁡A.\cos(90^\circ - A) = \sin A.

This is maximized when β=γ,\beta = \gamma, which the constraint allows, giving area 620(1+15)=744.620\left(1 + \frac{1}{5}\right) = 744.

Problem 8#8
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