2011 AMC 12A Problem 25

Attempt Problem 25 of the 2011 AMC 12A 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 2011 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

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25.

Triangle ABCABC has BAC=60,\angle BAC = 60^\circ, CBA90,\angle CBA \le 90^\circ, BC=1,BC = 1, and ACAB.AC \ge AB. Let H,H, I,I, and OO be the orthocenter, incenter, and circumcenter of ABC,\triangle ABC, respectively. Assume that the area of the pentagon BCOIHBCOIH is the maximum possible. What is CBA?\angle CBA?

6060^\circ

7272^\circ

7575^\circ

8080^\circ

9090^\circ

Answer: D
Concepts:circumcircle, circumcenter, and circumradiusoptimizationtrigonometry
Difficulty rating: 2840
Solution:

Write B=CBAB=\angle CBA and C=BCA=120B.C=\angle BCA=120^\circ-B. Since ACAB,AC\ge AB, we have BC,B\ge C, so 60B90.60^\circ\le B\le90^\circ. The standard angle formulas give BOC=2A=120,BHC=180A=120,BIC=90+A2=120. \begin{aligned} \angle BOC&=2\angle A=120^\circ, \\ \angle BHC&=180^\circ-\angle A=120^\circ, \\ \angle BIC&=90^\circ+\dfrac{\angle A}{2}=120^\circ. \end{aligned} Hence B,C,O,I,HB,C,O,I,H lie on one circle.

Also BC=1BC=1 and A=60A=60^\circ fix the circumradius OB=OC=1/3,OB=OC=1/\sqrt3, so BCO\triangle BCO and the circle through B,C,OB,C,O are fixed. Angle chasing at CC gives OCI=30C2,ICH=30C2. \begin{aligned} \angle OCI&=30^\circ-\dfrac C2, \\ \angle ICH&=30^\circ-\dfrac C2. \end{aligned} Thus the corresponding chords satisfy OI=IH.OI=IH.

The pentagon's area is the fixed area [BCO][BCO] plus [BOIH].[BOIH]. For two points dividing a fixed arc OB,OB, an inscribed quadrilateral has greatest area when its three consecutive subarcs are equal (equivalently, maximize the sum of their sines). Hence at the maximum OI=IH=HB.OI=IH=HB.

In BOC,\triangle BOC, OCB=30.\angle OCB=30^\circ. Equal chords make OCI=ICH,\angle OCI=\angle ICH, ICH=HCB,\angle ICH=\angle HCB, and each of these angles is 10.10^\circ. Therefore 30C2=10,30^\circ-\tfrac C2=10^\circ, so C=40C=40^\circ and B=80.B=80^\circ.

Thus, the correct answer is D.

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