2011 AIME I Problem 14

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 14 of the 2011 AIME I, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2011 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:regular polygontrigonometric identityright trianglesymmetry

Difficulty rating: 3500

14.

Let A1A2A3A4A5A6A7A8A_1A_2A_3A_4A_5A_6A_7A_8 be a regular octagon. Let M1,M_1, M3,M_3, M5,M_5, and M7M_7 be the midpoints of sides A1A2,\overline{A_1A_2}, A3A4,\overline{A_3A_4}, A5A6,\overline{A_5A_6}, and A7A8,\overline{A_7A_8}, respectively. For i=1,3,5,7,i = 1, 3, 5, 7, ray RiR_i is constructed from MiM_i towards the interior of the octagon such that R1R3,R_1 \perp R_3, R3R5,R_3 \perp R_5, R5R7,R_5 \perp R_7, and R7R1.R_7 \perp R_1. Pairs of rays R1R_1 and R3,R_3, R3R_3 and R5,R_5, R5R_5 and R7,R_7, and R7R_7 and R1R_1 meet at B1,B_1, B3,B_3, B5,B_5, and B7,B_7, respectively. If B1B3=A1A2,B_1B_3 = A_1A_2, then cos2A3M3B1\cos 2\angle A_3M_3B_1 can be written in the form mn,m - \sqrt{n}, where mm and nn are positive integers. Find m+n.m + n.

Solution:

Scale so that A1A2=2.A_1A_2 = 2. A 9090^\circ rotation about the center carries the whole configuration to itself, so B1B3B5B7B_1B_3B_5B_7 is a square and the distances a=MiBia = M_iB_i and b=MiBi2b = M_iB_{i-2} do not depend on i.i. Both B3B_3 and B1B_1 lie on ray R3R_3 (at distances aa and bb from M3M_3), so ba=B1B3=2.b - a = B_1B_3 = 2. Also, R1R3R_1 \perp R_3 makes triangle M1B1M3M_1B_1M_3 right-angled at B1,B_1, so a2+b2=M1M32.a^2 + b^2 = M_1M_3^2.

Lines A1A2A_1A_2 and A3A4A_3A_4 meet at a point CC at a right angle, and triangle A2CA3A_2CA_3 is an isosceles right triangle with legs A2C=A3C=2,A_2C = A_3C = \sqrt{2}, so M1C=M3C=1+2M_1C = M_3C = 1 + \sqrt{2} and a2+b2=M1M32=2(1+2)2.a^2 + b^2 = M_1M_3^2 = 2(1 + \sqrt{2})^2. Then (a+b)2=2(a2+b2)(ba)2=4(1+2)24=8+82.(a + b)^2 = 2(a^2 + b^2) - (b - a)^2 = 4(1 + \sqrt{2})^2 - 4 = 8 + 8\sqrt{2}.

Since triangle M1CM3M_1CM_3 is an isosceles right triangle and A3A_3 lies on segment M3C,\overline{M_3C}, we have A3M3M1=45,\angle A_3M_3M_1 = 45^\circ, while tanM1M3B1=ab\tan \angle M_1M_3B_1 = \frac{a}{b} from the right triangle. The tangent addition formula gives tanA3M3B1=1+ab1ab=a+bba,sotan2A3M3B1=8+824=2+22.\tan \angle A_3M_3B_1 = \frac{1 + \frac{a}{b}}{1 - \frac{a}{b}} = \frac{a + b}{b - a}, \qquad \text{so} \quad \tan^2 \angle A_3M_3B_1 = \frac{8 + 8\sqrt{2}}{4} = 2 + 2\sqrt{2}. Therefore cos2A3M3B1=1tan2A3M3B11+tan2A3M3B1=1223+22=(1+22)(322)=542=532,\cos 2\angle A_3M_3B_1 = \frac{1 - \tan^2 \angle A_3M_3B_1}{1 + \tan^2 \angle A_3M_3B_1} = \frac{-1 - 2\sqrt{2}}{3 + 2\sqrt{2}} = -(1 + 2\sqrt{2})(3 - 2\sqrt{2}) = 5 - 4\sqrt{2} = 5 - \sqrt{32}, and m+n=5+32=37.m + n = 5 + 32 = 37.

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