Nested Spheres and Square Pyramids

Calculus Level 4

For each positive integer n n , let

  • V p ( n ) V_{p}(n) be the volume of the largest square pyramid that can be inscribed in a sphere of volume V s ( n ) V_{s}(n)
  • V s ( n + 1 ) V_{s}(n + 1) be the volume of the largest sphere that be inscribed in a square pyramid of volume V p ( n ) V_{p}(n)
  • V s = 1 V s ( n ) V_{s} = \sum_{1}^{\infty} V_{s}(n) and V p = 1 V p ( n ) V_{p} = \sum_{1}^{\infty} V_{p}(n) and a , b a,b and c c be coprime positive integers.

If V s V p = a b π ( b ϕ 3 b ϕ 3 c ) 2 ( V s ( 1 ) ) 2 , V_{s} V_{p} = \dfrac{a}{b\pi} \left(\dfrac{b \phi^3}{b \phi^3 - c}\right)^2 (V_{s}(1))^2, where ϕ \phi represents the golden ratio, find a + b + c a + b + c .


The answer is 51.

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1 solution

Rocco Dalto
Nov 30, 2017

Sorry, but the above picture was the only picture that I could find.

Using the above picture:

Let x x be the side of the square base and A H AH be the height h h of the pyramid. Let O A OA and O C OC be radius R R of the sphere, so O H OH is h R h - R and half the diagonal C H CH of the square is x 2 \dfrac{x}{\sqrt{2}} . The volume of the sphere V s ( 1 ) = 4 3 π R 3 V_{s}(1) = \dfrac{4}{3} \pi R^3 and the volume of the square pyramid V p ( 1 ) = 1 3 x 2 h V_{p}(1) = \dfrac{1}{3} x^2 h .

For right triangle C O H COH we have:

R 2 = x 2 2 + ( h R ) 2 = x 2 2 + h 2 2 h R + R 2 x 2 + 2 h 2 4 h R = 0 x 2 = 4 h R 2 h 2 R^2 = \dfrac{x^2}{2} + (h - R)^2 = \dfrac{x^2}{2} + h^2 - 2hR + R^2 \implies x^2 + 2h^2 - 4hR = 0 \implies x^2 = 4hR - 2h^2 \implies

V p ( 1 ) ( h ) = 1 3 ( 4 h 2 R 2 h 3 ) d V p ( 1 ) d h = 2 h 3 ( 4 R 3 h ) = 0 V_{p(1)}(h) = \dfrac{1}{3} (4h^2R - 2h^3) \implies \dfrac{dV_{p}(1)}{dh} = \dfrac{2h}{3}(4R - 3h) = 0 and h 0 h = 4 R 3 . h \neq 0 \implies h = \dfrac{4R}{3}.

h = 4 R 3 h = \dfrac{4R}{3} maximizes V p ( 1 ) ( h ) V_{p(1)}(h) since d 2 V p ( 1 ) d h 2 ( h = 4 R 3 ) = 8 R 3 < 0 \dfrac{d^2V_{p}(1)}{dh^2}|_{(h = \dfrac{4R}{3})} =\dfrac{-8R}{3} < 0

h = 4 R 3 x 2 = 16 R 2 9 x = 4 R 3 = h . h = \dfrac{4R}{3} \implies x^2 = \dfrac{16 R^2}{9} \implies x = \dfrac{4R}{3} = h.

To find the inscribed sphere: Cut the pyramid and inscribed sphere with a vertical plane passing through the center of the sphere and perpendicular to two opposing sides of the base, the cross-section becomes a circle inscribed in an isosceles triangle:

Again, this is the only picture I could find.

Using the above isosceles triangle we have:

A C = B C AC = BC is the slant height s = x 2 + 4 h 2 2 s = \dfrac{\sqrt{x^2+ 4h^2}}{2} of our square pyramid and A B = x AB = x .

From the diagram the Area of the isosceles triangle A = s r + 1 2 x r = r ( 2 s + x ) 2 A = sr + \dfrac{1}{2} xr = \dfrac{r(2s + x)}{2}

r = 2 A 2 s + x = x h 2 s + x = x h x 2 + 4 h 2 + x \implies r = \dfrac{2A}{2s + x } = \dfrac{xh}{2s + x} = \dfrac{xh}{\sqrt{x^2 + 4h^2} + x}

From ( 1 ) (1) we had x = 4 R 3 = h r = 4 R 3 ( 5 + 1 ) = 2 R 3 ϕ x = \dfrac{4R}{3} = h \implies r = \dfrac{4R}{3(\sqrt{5} + 1)} = \dfrac{2R}{3\phi}

Now let r ( 1 ) = R , r ( 2 ) = r = 2 R 3 ϕ r(1) = R, r(2) = r = \dfrac{2R}{3\phi} and x ( 1 ) = 4 3 R = h ( 1 ) x(1) = \dfrac{4}{3} R = h(1) .

x ( 2 ) = 4 3 r ( 2 ) = 4 3 ( 2 3 ϕ ) R = h ( 2 ) x(2) = \dfrac{4}{3} r(2) = \dfrac{4}{3} (\dfrac{2}{3\phi}) R = h(2)

r ( 3 ) = 2 3 ϕ r ( 2 ) = ( 2 3 ϕ ) 2 R r(3) = \dfrac{2}{3\phi} r(2) = (\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^2 R

x ( 3 ) = 4 3 r 3 = 4 3 ( 2 3 ϕ ) 2 R = h ( 3 ) x(3) = \dfrac{4}{3} r^3 = \dfrac{4}{3} (\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^2 R = h(3)

r ( 4 ) = 2 3 ϕ r ( 3 ) = ( 2 3 ϕ ) 3 R r(4) = \dfrac{2}{3\phi} r(3) = (\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^3 R

x ( 4 ) = h ( 4 ) = 4 3 ( 2 3 ϕ ) 3 R x(4) = h(4) = \dfrac{4}{3} (\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^3 R

For each positive integer n n :

r ( n ) = ( 2 3 ϕ ) n 1 R r(n) = (\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^{n - 1} R and x ( n ) = 4 3 ( 2 3 ϕ ) n 1 R = h ( n ) x(n) = \dfrac{4}{3}(\dfrac{2}{3\phi})^{n - 1} R = h(n) \implies

V s ( n ) = ( 8 27 ϕ 3 ) n 1 V s ( 1 ) V_{s}(n) = (\dfrac{8}{27 \phi^3})^{n - 1} V_{s}(1) and V p ( n ) = 16 27 π ( 8 27 ϕ 3 ) n 1 V s ( 1 ) V_{p}(n) = \dfrac{16}{27\pi} (\dfrac{8}{27 \phi^3})^{n - 1} V_{s}(1)

\implies

V s = V s ( 1 ) n = 0 ( 8 27 ϕ 3 ) n = ( 27 ϕ 3 27 ϕ 3 8 ) V s ( 1 ) V_{s} =V_{s}(1) \sum_{n = 0}^{\infty} (\dfrac{8}{27\phi^3})^{n} = (\dfrac{27 \phi^3}{27 \phi^3 - 8}) V_{s}(1) and V p = 16 27 π ( 27 ϕ 3 27 ϕ 3 8 ) V s ( 1 ) V_{p} = \dfrac{16}{27\pi} (\dfrac{27 \phi^3}{27 \phi^3 - 8}) V_{s}(1) ,

V s V p = 16 27 π ( 27 ϕ 3 27 ϕ 3 8 ) 2 ( V s ( 1 ) ) 2 = a b π ( b ϕ 3 b ϕ 3 c ) 2 ( V s ( 1 ) ) 2 \implies V_{s} * V{p} = \dfrac{16}{27\pi} (\dfrac{27 \phi^3}{27 \phi^3 - 8})^2 (V_{s}(1))^2 = \dfrac{a}{b\pi} (\dfrac{b \phi^3}{b \phi^3 - c})^2 (V_{s}(1))^2 \implies

a + b + c = 51 a + b + c = \boxed{51}

Can someone please inform me what program to use to draw diagrams like the two above and whether it is available for free online.

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