2021 AIME II Problem 14

Attempt Problem 14 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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14.

Let △ABC\triangle ABC be an acute triangle with circumcenter OO and centroid G.G. Let XX be the intersection of the line tangent to the circumcircle of △ABC\triangle ABC at AA and the line perpendicular to GOGO at G.G. Let YY be the intersection of lines XGXG and BC.BC. Given that the measures of ∠ABC,\angle ABC, ∠BCA,\angle BCA, and ∠XOY\angle XOY are in the ratio 13:2:17,13 : 2 : 17, the degree measure of ∠BAC\angle BAC can be written as mn,\frac{m}{n}, where mm and nn are relatively prime positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Answer: 592
Concepts:circumcircle, circumcenter, and circumradiuscyclic quadrilateralangle chasingcentroid
Difficulty rating: 3370
Small Hint:

Right angles at AA and GG make OAXGOAXG cyclic; right angles at GG and MM (the midpoint of BC‾\overline{BC}) make OGYMOGYM cyclic

Big Hint:

Equal angles on chord OGOG in those circles give ∠XOY=∠AOM,\angle XOY = \angle AOM, which central angles express in terms of the triangle’s angles

Solution:

Let MM be the midpoint of BC‾,\overline{BC}, so A,A, G,G, MM are collinear along the median, while X,X, G,G, YY are collinear by definition. Since OA⊥AXOA \perp AX (tangent and radius) and OG⊥GX,OG \perp GX, quadrilateral OAXGOAXG is cyclic with diameter OX‾.\overline{OX}. Since OG⊥GYOG \perp GY and OM⊥MYOM \perp MY (the segment from the center to the midpoint of a chord is perpendicular to it), quadrilateral OGYMOGYM is cyclic with diameter OY‾.\overline{OY}.

In each circle the chord OG‾\overline{OG} subtends equal angles, so ∠OXY=∠OXG\angle OXY = \angle OXG =∠OAG=∠OAM= \angle OAG = \angle OAM and ∠OYX=∠OYG\angle OYX = \angle OYG =∠OMG=∠OMA.= \angle OMG = \angle OMA. Triangles OXYOXY and OAMOAM therefore have the same angle sums at their bases, giving ∠XOY=180∘−∠OXY−∠OYX=180∘−∠OAM−∠OMA=∠AOM. \begin{aligned} \angle XOY &= 180^\circ - \angle OXY \\ &\quad {}- \angle OYX \\ &= 180^\circ - \angle OAM \\ &\quad {}- \angle OMA \\ &= \angle AOM. \end{aligned}

Write ∠ABC=13k\angle ABC = 13k and ∠BCA=2k,\angle BCA = 2k, so ∠BAC=180∘−15k.\angle BAC = 180^\circ - 15k. Central angles give ∠AOB=2∠BCA=4k,\angle AOB = 2\angle BCA = 4k, and OM‾\overline{OM} bisects ∠BOC=2∠BAC,\angle BOC = 2\angle BAC, so on the side of BB (nearer to AA’s arc since ∠ABC>∠BCA\angle ABC \gt \angle BCA), ∠AOM=∠AOB+∠BOM=4k+(180∘−15k)=180∘−11k. \begin{aligned} \angle AOM &= \angle AOB + \angle BOM \\ &= 4k + (180^\circ - 15k) \\ &= 180^\circ - 11k. \end{aligned} Setting 180∘−11k=∠XOY=17k180^\circ - 11k = \angle XOY = 17k gives k=457,k = \frac{45}{7}, so ∠BAC=180∘−15⋅457=5857\angle BAC = 180^\circ - 15 \cdot \frac{45}{7} = \frac{585}{7} degrees, and all three angles are acute as required. Then m+n=585+7=592.m + n = 585 + 7 = 592.

Problem 13#13
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