Big Pentagon Small Pentagon - 2

Geometry Level 2

Vertices of the small pentagon (purple) divide the sides of the big pentagon by a ratio of 1 : 2 1 : 2 in the same order. Find the ratio of the area of the small pentagon to the area of the big pentagon.

In the answer options, φ = 1 + 5 2 \varphi =\dfrac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2} denotes the golden ratio .

1 + 2 φ 4 \dfrac {1 + 2 \varphi}4 3 + 2 φ 9 \dfrac {3 + 2 \varphi}9 φ 1 \varphi - 1 1 + 2 φ 3 \dfrac {1 + 2 \varphi}3

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1 solution

Chew-Seong Cheong
Nov 15, 2020

Using cosine rule as @Fletcher Mattox has used in solving the problem Big Hexagon Small Hexagon - 2 . Let the side length of the big pentagon be 1 1 . The the side length of the small pentagon is given by:

s 2 = ( 1 3 ) 2 + ( 2 3 ) 2 2 1 3 2 3 cos 10 8 Note that cos ( 18 0 θ ) = cos θ = 5 9 + 4 9 cos 7 2 = 5 9 + 4 9 ( 2 cos 2 3 6 1 ) and cos 3 6 = 1 + 5 4 = φ 2 = 1 9 + 2 9 φ 2 = 1 + 2 ( φ + 1 ) 9 = 3 + 2 φ 9 \begin{aligned} s^2 & = \left(\frac 13\right)^2 + \left(\frac 23\right)^2 - 2 \cdot \frac 13 \cdot \frac 23 \blue{\cos 108^\circ} & \small \blue{\text{Note that }\cos (180^\circ - \theta) = - \cos \theta} \\ & = \frac 59 + \frac 49 \blue{\cos 72^\circ} \\ & = \frac 59 + \frac 49 (2\cos^2 36^\circ - 1) & \small \blue{\text{and } \cos 36^\circ = \frac {1+\sqrt 5}4 = \frac \varphi 2} \\ & = \frac 19 + \frac 29 \varphi^2 \\ & = \frac {1+2(\varphi + 1)}9 \\ & = \frac {3+2\varphi}9 \end{aligned}

The ratio of areas A s A B = s 2 1 2 = 3 + 2 φ 9 \dfrac {A_s}{A_B} = \dfrac {s^2}{1^2} = \boxed{\dfrac {3+2\varphi}9} .

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