2009 AIME I Problem 15

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 15 of the 2009 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2009 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

All of the real AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problems in our complete solution collection are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

Concepts:incircle, incenter, and inradiuscyclic quadrilaterallaw of cosinesoptimization

Difficulty rating: 3500

15.

In triangle ABC,ABC, AB=10,AB = 10, BC=14,BC = 14, and CA=16.CA = 16. Let DD be a point in the interior of BC.\overline{BC}. Let IBI_B and ICI_C denote the incenters of triangles ABDABD and ACD,ACD, respectively. The circumcircles of triangles BIBDBI_BD and CICDCI_CD meet at distinct points PP and D.D. The maximum possible area of BPC\triangle BPC can be expressed in the form abc,a - b\sqrt{c}, where a,a, b,b, and cc are positive integers and cc is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find a+b+c.a + b + c.

Solution:

In triangle ABDABD the incenter satisfies BIBD=90+BAD2,\angle B I_B D = 90^\circ + \frac{\angle BAD}{2}, and likewise CICD=90+DAC2,\angle C I_C D = 90^\circ + \frac{\angle DAC}{2}, so these two angles sum to 180+BAC2.180^\circ + \frac{\angle BAC}{2}. The law of cosines gives cosBAC=102+16214221016=12,\cos \angle BAC = \frac{10^2 + 16^2 - 14^2}{2 \cdot 10 \cdot 16} = \frac{1}{2}, so BAC=60\angle BAC = 60^\circ and the sum is 210.210^\circ.

The second intersection point PP lies on the opposite side of BC\overline{BC} from the incenters (were it on the same side, the two cyclic quadrilaterals would force BPC=210>180\angle BPC = 210^\circ \gt 180^\circ). Then BIBDPBI_BDP and CICDPCI_CDP are convex cyclic quadrilaterals, so BPC=BPD+DPC=(180BIBD)+(180CICD)=360210=150,\angle BPC = \angle BPD + \angle DPC = \left(180^\circ - \angle BI_BD\right) + \left(180^\circ - \angle CI_CD\right) = 360^\circ - 210^\circ = 150^\circ, independent of D.D. Hence PP moves along a fixed circular arc through BB and C.C.

The area of triangle BPCBPC is maximized at the midpoint of the arc, where BP=PC=x.BP = PC = x. The law of cosines gives 142=2x2+3x2,14^2 = 2x^2 + \sqrt{3}\,x^2, so x2=1962+3=196(23),x^2 = \frac{196}{2 + \sqrt{3}} = 196\left(2 - \sqrt{3}\right), and the area is 12x2sin150=49(23)=98493.\frac{1}{2}x^2 \sin 150^\circ = 49\left(2 - \sqrt{3}\right) = 98 - 49\sqrt{3}. Thus a+b+c=98+49+3=150.a + b + c = 98 + 49 + 3 = 150.

← Problem 14Full Exam

Problem 15 in Other Years