2019 AIME II Problem 11

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Concepts:tangent linesimilaritylaw of cosines

Difficulty rating: 2990

11.

Triangle ABCABC has side lengths AB=7,AB = 7, BC=8,BC = 8, and CA=9.CA = 9. Circle ω1\omega_1 passes through BB and is tangent to line ACAC at A.A. Circle ω2\omega_2 passes through CC and is tangent to line ABAB at A.A. Let KK be the intersection of circles ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 not equal to A.A. Then AK=mn,AK = \frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

By the tangent-chord angle in ω1\omega_1 (tangent AC,AC, chord AKAK), KAC=KBA,\angle KAC = \angle KBA, and in ω2\omega_2 (tangent AB,AB, chord AKAK), KAB=KCA.\angle KAB = \angle KCA. Write u=KACu = \angle KAC and v=KAB,v = \angle KAB, so u+v=A.u + v = \angle A. Triangles KABKAB and KCAKCA then have KAB=v=KCA\angle KAB = v = \angle KCA and KBA=u=KAC,\angle KBA = u = \angle KAC, so KABKCA.\triangle KAB \sim \triangle KCA. With t=AKt = AK this gives KBt=tKC=ABCA=79,\frac{KB}{t} = \frac{t}{KC} = \frac{AB}{CA} = \frac{7}{9}, so KB=7t9KB = \frac{7t}{9} and KC=9t7.KC = \frac{9t}{7}. Also AKB=AKC=180uv=180A,\angle AKB = \angle AKC = 180^\circ - u - v = 180^\circ - \angle A, so BKC=3602(180A)=2A.\angle BKC = 360^\circ - 2(180^\circ - \angle A) = 2\angle A.

From the law of cosines in ABC,ABC, cosA=49+8164279=1121,\cos A = \frac{49 + 81 - 64}{2 \cdot 7 \cdot 9} = \frac{11}{21}, so cos2A=2(1121)21=199441.\cos 2A = 2\left(\frac{11}{21}\right)^2 - 1 = -\frac{199}{441}. The law of cosines in triangle BKCBKC gives 64=49t281+81t2492t2cos2A=t22401+6561+35823969=12544t23969,64 = \frac{49t^2}{81} + \frac{81t^2}{49} - 2t^2\cos 2A = t^2 \cdot \frac{2401 + 6561 + 3582}{3969} = \frac{12544\,t^2}{3969}, so t2=64396912544=3969196t^2 = \frac{64 \cdot 3969}{12544} = \frac{3969}{196} and t=6314=92.t = \frac{63}{14} = \frac{9}{2}.

Hence AK=92AK = \frac{9}{2} and m+n=9+2=11.m + n = 9 + 2 = 11.

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