Can you solve this RMO question?

Geometry Level 2

Let ABC be a triangle with ∠A = 90◦ and AB = AC. Let D and E be points on the segment BC such that BD : DE : EC = 3 : 5 : 4. Find ∠DAE in degrees ( RMO 2013 )


The answer is 45.

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7 solutions

Aditya Dhawan
Jun 8, 2015

Moderator note:

Once we have determined the side lengths of triangle A D E ADE , it is easy to find the angle.

Having found that the angle is 4 5 45 ^ \circ , one should consider if there is an alternative approach to arrive that result, which sheds more insight into the problem. For example, 3 : 5 : 4 3: 5 : 4 should remind us of the Pythagorean Triplet.

Is it true that if the ratio is in a pythagorean triplet (with DE as the hypotenuse), then the angle D A E DAE must be 4 5 45 ^ \circ ?

It is 4 5 o 45^o for 3:5:4 only if it is an i s o s c e l e s \color{#D61F06}{ isosceles} right angled triangle. 3:5:4 or any of its multiple is OK. I tried with 5:13:12, the angle was not 45.

Niranjan Khanderia - 5 years, 9 months ago

DM=15x/sqrt10

Badal Das - 2 years ago

Sorry in the first line angle ABC= 45 and not angle BAC.

Aditya Dhawan - 6 years ago
Zayden Blaze
Jun 23, 2018

Rotate Δ A B C \Delta ABC clockwise by 9 0 90^\circ .

Then C D = A D = 3 CD'=AD=3 , C E = 4 CE=4 , and E C D = 9 0 \angle ECD'=90^\circ . Therefore E D = 5 = E D ED'=5=ED .

Thus D E D B DED'B is a kite with D B D = 9 0 \angle DBD'=90^\circ , so D B E = 4 5 \angle DBE=45^\circ .

Let M be the midpoint of BC. Without losing generality, let BC=12.
So BD=3, DM=3, ME=2, EC=4 and AM=6.
A p p l y i n g S i n L a w t o , Δ A D B 3 S i n ( 45 α ) = A D S i n 45 . . . . ( 1 ) Δ A D M 3 S i n ( α ) = A D S i n 90 . . . . ( 2 ) Δ A E M 2 S i n ( β ) = A E S i n 90 . . . . ( 3 ) Δ A E C 4 S i n ( 45 β ) = A E S i n 45 . . . . ( 4 ) F r o m ( 1 ) , ( 2 ) 3 S i n ( 45 α ) = 3 S i n ( α ) S i n 45 S i n α = C o s α S i n α T a n α = 1 2 . F r o m ( 3 ) , ( 4 ) 4 S i n ( 45 β ) = 2 S i n ( β ) S i n 45 S i n β = C o s β 2 S i n β T a n β = 1 3 . D A E = α + β = T a n 1 1 2 + 1 3 1 1 2 1 3 = 4 5 o . Applying~ Sin~ Law~ to~, \\ \Delta ~~ADB~~ \dfrac 3 {Sin(45-\alpha)}=\dfrac {AD}{Sin45} ....(1)\\ \Delta ~~ADM~~ \dfrac 3 {Sin(\alpha)}=\dfrac {AD}{Sin90}....(2)\\ \Delta ~~AEM~~ \dfrac2 {Sin(\beta)}=\dfrac {AE}{Sin90} ....(3)\\ \Delta ~~AEC~~ \dfrac 4 {Sin(45-\beta)}=\dfrac {AE}{Sin45} ....(4)\\ From~(1),(2)~~ \dfrac 3 {Sin(45-\alpha)}=\dfrac{ \frac 3 {Sin(\alpha)}}{Sin45} \\\implies~Sin\alpha=Cos\alpha-Sin\alpha\\ \therefore ~Tan\alpha=\color{#D61F06}{\dfrac1 2 }. \\ From~(3),(4)~~ \dfrac {4} {Sin(45-\beta)} = \dfrac { \frac 2 {Sin(\beta)}} {Sin45}\\ \implies~Sin\beta=Cos\beta-2Sin\beta\\ \therefore ~Tan\beta=\color{#D61F06}{\dfrac1 3} .\\ \therefore~\angle~DAE=\alpha+\beta=Tan^{-1}\dfrac{\frac1 2 +\frac1 3 }{1-\frac 1 2*\frac1 3}=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\Large \color{#3D99F6}{45^o}.

Good problem:easy yet beautiful

Rahul Jain
Jul 1, 2020

Swapan Nayak
Nov 26, 2018

Cosine law can also be used though solution will be little lengthy

Much simple than I thought so

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