2021 AIME II Problem 14

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 14 of the 2021 AIME II, 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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Concepts:circumcircle, circumcenter, and circumradiuscyclic quadrilateralangle chasingcentroid

Difficulty rating: 3370

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,BCA,\angle ABC, \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.

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 OAAXOA \perp AX (tangent and radius) and OGGX,OG \perp GX, quadrilateral OAXGOAXG is cyclic with diameter OX.\overline{OX}. Since OGGYOG \perp GY and OMMYOM \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=OAG=OAM\angle OXY = \angle OXG = \angle OAG = \angle OAM and OYX=OYG=OMG=OMA.\angle OYX = \angle OYG = \angle OMG = \angle OMA. Triangles OXYOXY and OAMOAM therefore have the same angle sums at their bases, giving XOY=180OXYOYX=180OAMOMA=AOM.\angle XOY = 180^\circ - \angle OXY - \angle OYX = 180^\circ - \angle OAM - \angle OMA = \angle AOM.

Write ABC=13k\angle ABC = 13k and BCA=2k,\angle BCA = 2k, so BAC=18015k.\angle BAC = 180^\circ - 15k. Central angles give AOB=2BCA=4k,\angle AOB = 2\angle BCA = 4k, and OM\overline{OM} bisects BOC=2BAC,\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+(18015k)=18011k.\angle AOM = \angle AOB + \angle BOM = 4k + (180^\circ - 15k) = 180^\circ - 11k. Setting 18011k=XOY=17k180^\circ - 11k = \angle XOY = 17k gives k=457,k = \frac{45}{7}, so BAC=18015457=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.

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