ABCD

Geometry Level 5

A B C D ABCD is a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle with A B = 1 AB = 1 , B C = 3 BC = 3 , C D = 4 CD = 4 and D A = 6 DA = 6 . What is the value of sec 2 B A D \sec^2 \angle BAD ?

Details and assumptions

A quadrilateral is inscribed in a circle if all four of its vertices lie on the circle.


The answer is 9.

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1 solution

Calvin Lin Staff
May 13, 2014

Since A B C D ABCD is inscribed in a circle, thus B A D = 18 0 B C D \angle BAD = 180^\circ - \angle BCD . So cos B A D = cos ( 18 0 B C D ) = cos B C D \cos \angle BAD = \cos (180^\circ - \angle BCD) = -\cos \angle BCD .

Applying the cosine rule on triangle A B D ABD , we have

B D 2 = A B 2 + A D 2 2 ( A B ) ( A D ) cos B A D = 1 + 36 2 ( 1 ) ( 6 ) cos B A D = 37 12 cos B A D \begin{aligned} BD^2 &= AB^2 + AD^2 - 2(AB)(AD)\cos \angle BAD \\ &= 1 + 36 - 2(1)(6)\cos \angle BAD \\ &= 37 - 12\cos \angle BAD \\ \end{aligned}

Applying the cosine rule on triangle B C D BCD , we have

B D 2 = B C 2 + D C 2 2 ( B C ) ( C D ) cos B C D = 9 + 16 + 2 ( 3 ) ( 4 ) cos B A D = 25 + 24 cos B A D \begin{aligned} BD^2 &= BC^2 + DC^2 - 2(BC)(CD) \cos \angle BCD \\ &= 9 + 16 + 2(3)(4) \cos \angle BAD \\ &= 25 + 24\cos \angle BAD\\ \end{aligned}

Equating the two equations, we have 37 12 cos B A D = 25 + 24 cos B A D 37 - 12\cos \angle BAD = 25 + 24 \cos \angle BAD , thus cos B A D = 37 25 12 + 24 = 1 3 \cos \angle BAD = \frac{37-25}{12+24} = \frac{1}{3} . Hence sec 2 B A D = 1 cos 2 B A D = 1 1 9 = 9 \sec^2 \angle BAD = \frac{1}{\cos^2 \angle BAD} = \frac{1}{\frac{1}{9}} = 9 .

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