2022 AIME I Problem 14

Attempt Problem 14 of the 2022 AIME I 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 2022 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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14.

Given △ABC\triangle ABC and a point PP on one of its sides, call line ℓ\ell the splitting line of △ABC\triangle ABC through PP if ℓ\ell passes through PP and divides △ABC\triangle ABC into two polygons of equal perimeter. Let △ABC\triangle ABC be a triangle where BC=219BC = 219 and ABAB and ACAC are positive integers. Let MM and NN be the midpoints of AB‾\overline{AB} and AC‾,\overline{AC}, respectively, and suppose that the splitting lines of △ABC\triangle ABC through MM and NN intersect at 30∘.30^\circ. Find the perimeter of △ABC.\triangle ABC.

Answer: 459
Concepts:angle bisectorlaw of cosinesDiophantine Equation
Difficulty rating: 3500
Small Hint:

Show the splitting line through MM is parallel to the angle bisector from C:C: it meets BC‾\overline{BC} at XX with BX=s−c2,BX = s - \frac{c}{2}, and ∠BXM=C2\angle BXM = \frac{C}{2}

Big Hint:

The bisectors from BB and CC cross at 90∘+A2,90^\circ + \frac{A}{2}, so the 30∘30^\circ condition forces ∠A=120∘;\angle A = 120^\circ; then make 4⋅2192−3(b+c)24 \cdot 219^2 - 3(b+c)^2 a perfect square

Solution:

Write a=BC=219,a = BC = 219, b=CA,b = CA, c=AB,c = AB, and ss for the semiperimeter. The splitting line through MM meets BC‾\overline{BC} at the point X.X. Equating the two piece perimeters and cancelling their common segment MX‾\overline{MX} gives c2+BX=c2+b+(a−BX), \frac{c}{2}+BX=\frac{c}{2}+b+(a-BX), so BX=a+b2=s−c2.BX=\frac{a+b}{2}=s-\frac{c}{2}. In triangle BMX,BMX, the law of sines shows ∠BXM=C2:\angle BXM = \frac{C}{2}: this needs csin⁡(B+C2)=(a+b)sin⁡C2,c \sin\left(B + \frac{C}{2}\right) = (a + b)\sin\frac{C}{2}, which reduces via a+b=2R(sin⁡A+sin⁡B)a + b = 2R(\sin A + \sin B) =4Rcos⁡C2cos⁡A−B2= 4R\cos\frac{C}{2}\cos\frac{A - B}{2} and c=4Rsin⁡C2cos⁡C2c = 4R \sin\frac{C}{2}\cos\frac{C}{2} to sin⁡(B+C2)=cos⁡A−B2,\sin\left(B + \frac{C}{2}\right) = \cos\frac{A - B}{2}, true because those angles are complementary. Hence the splitting line through MM is parallel to the angle bisector from C,C, and likewise the one through NN is parallel to the bisector from B.B.

The internal bisectors from BB and CC meet at 90∘+A2>90∘,90^\circ + \frac{A}{2} \gt 90^\circ, so the acute angle between the two splitting lines is 90∘−A2=30∘,90^\circ - \frac{A}{2} = 30^\circ, forcing ∠A=120∘.\angle A = 120^\circ. The law of cosines gives 2192=b2+c2+bc=(b+c)2−bc. \begin{aligned} 219^2 &= b^2 + c^2 + bc \\ &= (b + c)^2 - bc. \end{aligned} Set p=b+c,p = b + c, so bc=p2−2192bc = p^2 - 219^2 and bb and cc are roots of t2−pt+(p2−2192),t^2 - pt + (p^2 - 219^2), requiring 4⋅2192−3p24 \cdot 219^2 - 3p^2 to be a perfect square k2.k^2. Then 33 divides kk and 33 divides p;p; writing p=3rp = 3r and k=3mk = 3m turns the condition into m2+3r2=1462.m^2 + 3r^2 = 146^2. The triangle inequality p>219p \gt 219 and 4⋅2192≥3p24 \cdot 219^2 \ge 3p^2 restrict 74≤r≤84,74 \le r \le 84, and checking these, only r=80r = 80 works, with m=46.m = 46.

So b+c=240b + c = 240 and bc=2402−47961=9639,bc = 240^2 - 47961 = 9639, giving {b,c}={51,189}\{b, c\} = \{51, 189\} — a valid triangle. The perimeter is 219+240=459.219 + 240 = 459.

Problem 13#13
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