Prime Triangle

Geometry Level 3

The figure above shows an isosceles triangle A B C ABC with B A = A C BA = AC and B A C = 12 0 \angle BAC = 120^\circ .

Let D D be a point on A C AC such that A D > D C AD > DC . Given that the lengths of B A BA , A D AD , D C DC , and B D BD are all distinct prime numbers , what is the length of B D ? BD?


The answer is 7.

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3 solutions

J Chaturvedi
Jun 6, 2016

Draw a line parallel to BC, from D meeting AB at P. The quadrilateral PDCB is cyclic and so, BD^2=PD ×BC+DC^2,
PD=√3×AD, BC=√3×AC and DC=2, being the only even prime number as the difference between AC and AD, the two odd prime numbers. So, BD^2=3AD×AC + 4,
(BD+2)(BD - 2)=3AD×AC The right side are all prime numbers and BD being greater than AC, we have, BD + 2 = 3AD,
and BD - 2= AC, Subtracting 2nd from 1st, 3AD - AC=2AD - 2 =4, or AD=3. BD=3AD - 2= 9 - 2= 7.


2 is the only one even Prime. Only Even + Odd = 0dd .... ( ) \color{#3D99F6}{(***)} .
AB=AC=AD + DC. AC is prime and so odd, AD is prime and so odd, AD > DC, also implies AC > DC.
We know ( ) . S o A D = 2 . a m u s t . \color{#3D99F6}{(***)} .\ \ So\ \ \color{#3D99F6}{AD=2}. \ a\ must.
AD + 2 =AC=AB. So AB, AC are twin prime.
B D = A B 2 + A D 2 2 A B A D C o s 120 . . . . . . C o s R u l e . . . . ( ) BD=\sqrt{AB^2 + AD^2 - 2*AB*AD*Cos120}......Cos\ Rule....\color{#3D99F6}{(*)}
So we investigate twin primes.
Start with (3,5).
Applying Cos Rule as in ( ) B D = 5 2 + 3 2 2 5 3 ( 1 2 ) = 7 \color{#3D99F6}{(*)}\ \ BD=\sqrt{5^2 + 3^2 - 2*5*3*( - \frac 1 2) } \ =\ 7 a prime not used.
BD= 7 .

Relevant wiki: Solving Triangles - Problem Solving - Medium

Since B A = A C = A D + D C BA = AC = AD + DC , and all these lengths are prime, D C DC is even or equal to 2 2 , the only even prime available. Then let A D = x AD = x , so B A = A C = x + 2 BA = AC = x+2 . We can apply the cosine rule for A B D \triangle ABD :

B D 2 = ( x + 2 ) 2 + x 2 2 ( c o s 12 0 ) ( x ( x + 2 ) ) = 3 x 2 + 6 x + 4 BD^2 = (x + 2)^2 + x^2 - 2(cos 120^\circ)(x(x+2)) = 3x^2 + 6x + 4

Since B D BD is also prime in length, so we let B D = x + 2 n BD = x +2n for some integer n n .

( x + 2 n ) 2 = 3 x 2 + 6 x + 4 (x + 2n)^2 = 3x^2 + 6x + 4

0 = 2 x 2 + ( 6 4 n ) x + 4 ( 1 n 2 ) 0 = 2x^2 + (6-4n)x + 4(1 - n^2)

0 = x 2 + ( 3 2 n ) x + 2 ( 1 n 2 ) 0 = x^2 + (3-2n)x + 2(1 - n^2)

Solving for x x , we will get: x = ( 2 n 3 ) ± ( 3 2 n ) 2 8 ( 1 n 2 ) 2 = ( 2 n 3 ) ± 12 n 2 12 n + 1 2 x = \dfrac{(2n-3) \pm \sqrt{(3-2n)^2 - 8(1-n^2)}}{2} = \dfrac{(2n-3) \pm \sqrt{12n^2 - 12n +1}}{2}

The square root of the quadratic discriminant must be an integer, so the discriminant equals to m 2 m^2 for some integer m m .

12 n 2 12 n + 1 = m 2 12n^2 - 12n + 1 = m^2

12 ( n 2 n ) = m 2 1 = ( m 1 ) ( m + 1 ) 12(n^2 - n) = m^2 - 1 = (m - 1)(m + 1)

By factorization to its near square root, the left hand side will have two factors, whose absolute difference is 2 2 .

Then we can rewrite the equation as:

( 3 n ) ( 4 ( n 1 ) ) = ( 4 n ) ( 3 ( n 1 ) ) = ( 2 n ) ( 6 ( n 1 ) ) = ( 6 n ) ( 2 ( n 1 ) ) = ( n ) ( 12 ( n 1 ) ) = ( 12 n ) ( n ( n 1 ) ) = ( 12 ) ( n 2 n ) = ( m 1 ) ( m + 1 ) (3n)(4(n-1)) = (4n)(3(n-1)) = (2n)(6(n-1)) = (6n)(2(n-1)) = (n)(12(n-1)) = (12n)(n(n-1)) = (12)(n^2 - n) = (m-1)(m+1)

Starting from the first terms, the factors 3 n 3n and 4 ( n 1 ) 4(n-1) will equal to m 1 m-1 or m + 1 m+1 . Hence, the absolute difference between factors will equal to 2 2 :

3 n 4 ( n 1 ) = 2 |3n - 4(n-1)| = 2

Thus, 4 n = 2 4 - n = 2 or 4 n = 2 4 - n = -2 . Then n n = 6 6 or 2 2 .

By using the same method, for terms ( 4 n ) ( 3 ( n 1 ) ) (4n)(3(n-1)) , we will get n n = 1 -1 or 5 -5 .

For ( 2 n ) ( 6 ( n 1 ) ) (2n)(6(n-1)) , n n = 1 1 or 2 2 .

For ( 6 n ) ( 2 ( n 1 ) ) (6n)(2(n-1)) , n n = 0 0 or 1 -1 .

For other terms, however, n n can never be an integer.

Therefore, the possible value of n n is an element in the set {-5, -1, 1, 2, 6}. (Note that n n can't be zero because of different prime numbers.)

By substituting values of n n , the value of x x can be evaluated as followed:

n = 5 ; x = 3 o r 16 n = -5; x = 3\ or \ -16 n = 1 ; x = 0 o r 5 n = -1; x = 0\ or \ -5 n = 1 ; x = 0 o r 1 n = 1; x = 0\ or \ -1 n = 2 ; x = 3 o r 2 n = 2; x = 3\ or \ -2 n = 6 ; x = 14 o r 5 n = 6; x = 14\ or \ -5

Out of these outcomes, 3 3 is the only positive prime solution for x x , yet the only applicable value of n n is 2 2 . That is, B D = 3 + 2 × 2 = 7 BD = 3 + 2\times 2 = \boxed{7} .

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