2021 AIME II Problem 12

Attempt Problem 12 of the 2021 AIME II 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 2021 AIME II solutions, or check the answer key.

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12.

A convex quadrilateral has area 3030 and side lengths 5,6,9,5, 6, 9, and 7,7, in that order. Denote by θ\theta the measure of the acute angle formed by the diagonals of the quadrilateral. Then tanθ\tan \theta can be written in the form mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 47
Concepts:law of cosinesareatrigonometry
Difficulty rating: 2920
Solution:

Label the quadrilateral ABCDABCD with AB=5,AB = 5, BC=6,BC = 6, CD=9,CD = 9, DA=7,DA = 7, and let the diagonals meet at P,P, cutting AC\overline{AC} into p1,p2p_1, p_2 and BD\overline{BD} into q1,q2.q_1, q_2. With φ=APB,\varphi = \angle APB, the law of cosines in the four corner triangles (whose angles at PP alternate between φ\varphi and 180φ180^\circ - \varphi) gives BC2+DA2AB2CD2=2(p1q1+p1q2+p2q1+p2q2)cosφ=2ACBDcosφ. \begin{aligned} &BC^2 + DA^2 - AB^2 - CD^2 \\ &= 2(p_1q_1 + p_1q_2 + p_2q_1 + p_2q_2) \\ &\quad {}\cdot \cos\varphi \\ &= 2\,AC \cdot BD \cos\varphi. \end{aligned}

The left side is 36+492581=21,36 + 49 - 25 - 81 = -21, so ACBDcosφ=212,AC \cdot BD\,|\cos\varphi| = \frac{21}{2}, and the acute angle θ\theta between the diagonals satisfies ACBDcosθ=212.AC \cdot BD \cos\theta = \frac{21}{2}. Meanwhile the four corner triangles give the area 12ACBDsinθ=30,\frac{1}{2} AC \cdot BD \sin\theta = 30, so ACBDsinθ=60.AC \cdot BD \sin\theta = 60.

Dividing, tanθ=6021/2=407,\tan\theta = \frac{60}{21/2} = \frac{40}{7}, so m+n=40+7=47.m + n = 40 + 7 = 47.

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