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
Solution:

By the tangent-chord angle, TBC=A,\angle TBC = A, so ABT=B+A=180C\angle ABT = B + A = 180^\circ - C and TX=TBsinABT=16sinC;TX = TB \sin\angle ABT = 16 \sin C; similarly TY=16sinB.TY = 16 \sin B. Also AXT=AYT=90,\angle AXT = \angle AYT = 90^\circ, so A,X,T,YA, X, T, Y lie on a circle with diameter AT,AT, whence XY=ATsinA.XY = AT \sin A. Using the law of sines (sinA=11R, sinB=AC2R, sinC=AB2R),\scriptsize\left(\sin A = \frac{11}{R},\ \sin B = \frac{AC}{2R},\ \sin C = \frac{AB}{2R}\right), the given condition becomes 64(AB2+AC2)+121AT2R2=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 OBBT,OB \perp BT, which gives 121k135=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+(yk)2=R2x^2 + (y - k)^2 = R^2 gives x2+y2=242135y+121.x^2 + y^2 = \frac{242}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 121. Therefore AB2+AC2=2(x2+y2)+242=484135y+484, \begin{aligned} AB^2 + AC^2 &= 2(x^2 + y^2) + 242 \\ &= \frac{484}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 484, \end{aligned} AT2=x2+y2+2135y+135=512135y+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)+121AT264(AB^2 + AC^2) + 121\,AT^2 =92928135y+61952= \frac{92928}{\sqrt{135}}\,y + 61952 =114330976135= 1143 \cdot \frac{30976}{135} yields y=291135.y = \frac{291}{\sqrt{135}}. Then AT2=512291135+256=183552135,AT^2 = \frac{512 \cdot 291}{135} + 256 = \frac{183552}{135}, and XY2=AT2sin2A=121AT2R2=12118355230976=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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