2019 AIME I Problem 11

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 11 of the 2019 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2019 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:incircle, incenter, and inradiustangent circlescoordinate geometry

Difficulty rating: 3160

11.

In ABC,\triangle ABC, the sides have integer lengths and AB=AC.AB = AC. Circle ω\omega has its center at the incenter of ABC.\triangle ABC. An excircle of ABC\triangle ABC is a circle in the exterior of ABC\triangle ABC that is tangent to one side of the triangle and tangent to the extensions of the other two sides. Suppose that the excircle tangent to BC\overline{BC} is internally tangent to ω,\omega, and the other two excircles are both externally tangent to ω.\omega. Find the minimum possible value of the perimeter of ABC.\triangle ABC.

Solution:

Let BC=aBC = a and AB=AC=b.AB = AC = b. Place B=(a2,0),B = \left(-\frac{a}{2}, 0\right), C=(a2,0),C = \left(\frac{a}{2}, 0\right), A=(0,h)A = (0, h) with h=b2a24,h = \sqrt{b^2 - \frac{a^2}{4}}, so the semiperimeter is s=b+a2s = b + \frac{a}{2} and the area is K=ah2.K = \frac{ah}{2}. The inradius and exradii are r=Ks=aha+2b,r = \frac{K}{s} = \frac{ah}{a + 2b}, rA=Ksa=ah2ba,r_A = \frac{K}{s - a} = \frac{ah}{2b - a}, and rB=Ksb=h.r_B = \frac{K}{s - b} = h. The incenter is I=(0,r)I = (0, r) and the AA-excircle has center (0,rA).(0, -r_A). The BB-excircle touches line BCBC at distance ss from B,B, that is, at x=b,x = b, so its center is (b,h).(b, h).

Internal tangency with the AA-excircle: the center distance is r+rA,r + r_A, so the radius ρ\rho of ω\omega satisfies ρrA=r+rA,\rho - r_A = r + r_A, i.e. ρ=r+2rA.\rho = r + 2r_A. External tangency with the BB-excircle requires b2+(hr)2=(ρ+h)2=(h+r+2rA)2,b^2 + (h - r)^2 = (\rho + h)^2 = (h + r + 2r_A)^2, which rearranges to b2=4(r+rA)(h+rA).b^2 = 4(r + r_A)(h + r_A). Since r+rA=4abh4b2a2andh+rA=2bh2ba,r + r_A = \frac{4abh}{4b^2 - a^2} \qquad \text{and} \qquad h + r_A = \frac{2bh}{2b - a}, and h2=4b2a24,h^2 = \frac{4b^2 - a^2}{4}, the condition becomes b2=8ab22ba,b^2 = \frac{8ab^2}{2b - a}, that is, 2ba=8a,2b - a = 8a, so 2b=9a.2b = 9a.

For integer sides, a=2ta = 2t and b=9tb = 9t for a positive integer t,t, giving perimeter 20t.20t. The minimum is 20,20, achieved by the triangle with sides 9,9,2.9, 9, 2.

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