2020 AIME II Problem 15

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15.

Let △ABC\triangle ABC be an acute scalene triangle with circumcircle ω.\omega. The tangents to ω\omega at BB and CC intersect at T.T. Let XX and YY be the projections of TT onto lines ABAB and AC,AC, respectively. Suppose BT=CT=16,BT = CT = 16, BC=22,BC = 22, and TX2+TY2+XY2=1143.TX^2 + TY^2 + XY^2 = 1143. Find XY2.XY^2.

Answer: 717
Concepts:tangent linecyclic quadrilaterallaw of sinescoordinate geometry
Difficulty rating: 3370
Small Hint:

The tangent-chord angle gives ∠ABT=180∘−C,\angle ABT = 180^\circ - C, so TX=16sin⁡C;TX = 16 \sin C; and AXTYAXTY is cyclic with diameter AT,AT, so XY=ATsin⁡AXY = AT \sin A

Big Hint:

Place BB and CC at (∓11,0),(\mp 11, 0), so T=(0,−135).T = (0, -\sqrt{135}). Then TX2+TY2TX^2 + TY^2 and XY2XY^2 are both linear in the yy-coordinate of A.A.

Solution:

By the tangent-chord angle, ∠TBC=A,\angle TBC = A, so ∠ABT=B+A=180∘−C\angle ABT = B + A = 180^\circ - C and TX=TBsin⁡∠ABT=16sin⁡C;TX = TB \sin\angle ABT = 16 \sin C; similarly TY=16sin⁡B.TY = 16 \sin B. Also ∠AXT=∠AYT=90∘,\angle AXT = \angle AYT = 90^\circ, so A,A, X,X, T,T, and YY lie on a circle with diameter AT,AT, whence XY=ATsin⁡A.XY = AT \sin A. Using the law of sines, sin⁡A=11R,\sin A = \frac{11}{R}, sin⁡B=AC2R,\sin B = \frac{AC}{2R}, and sin⁡C=AB2R,\sin C = \frac{AB}{2R}, so the given condition becomes 64(AB2+AC2)+121 AT2R2=1143. \begin{aligned} &\frac{64\left(AB^2 + AC^2\right) + 121\,AT^2}{R^2} \\ &= 1143. \end{aligned}

Place B=(−11,0)B = (-11, 0) and C=(11,0).C = (11, 0). Since TB=16TB = 16 and TT lies on the perpendicular bisector of BC,BC, we get T=(0,−135).T = (0, -\sqrt{135}). The circumcenter is O=(0,k)O = (0, k) with OB⊥BT,OB \perp BT, which gives 121−k135=0,121 - k\sqrt{135} = 0, so k=121135k = \frac{121}{\sqrt{135}} and R2=121+k2=30976135.R^2 = 121 + k^2 = \frac{30976}{135}. For A=(x,y)A = (x, y) on ω,\omega, expanding x2+(y−k)2=R2x^2 + (y - k)^2 = R^2 gives x2+y2=242135 y+121.x^2 + y^2 = \frac{242}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 121. Therefore AB2+AC2=2(x2+y2)+242=484135 y+484, \begin{aligned} AB^2 + AC^2 &= 2(x^2 + y^2) + 242 \\ &= \frac{484}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 484, \end{aligned} AT2=x2+y2+2135 y+135=512135 y+256. \begin{aligned} AT^2 &= x^2 + y^2 \\ &\quad {}+ 2\sqrt{135}\,y + 135 \\ &= \frac{512}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 256. \end{aligned}

Substituting, 64(AB2+AC2)+121 AT264(AB^2 + AC^2) + 121\,AT^2 =92928135 y+61952= \frac{92928}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 61952 =1143⋅30976135= 1143 \cdot \frac{30976}{135} yields y=291135.y = \frac{291}{\sqrt{135}}. Then AT2=512⋅291135+256=183552135,AT^2 = \frac{512 \cdot 291}{135} + 256 = \frac{183552}{135}, and XY2=AT2sin⁡2A=121 AT2R2=121⋅18355230976=183552256=717. \begin{aligned} XY^2 &= AT^2 \sin^2 A \\ &= \frac{121\,AT^2}{R^2} \\ &= \frac{121 \cdot 183552}{30976} \\ &= \frac{183552}{256} = 717. \end{aligned}

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