, , and . is an equilateral triangle with sides , and passing through the points , an respectively and each having length .
InIf the sum of the possible lengths of the segment be expressed as , where , are coprime positive integers, find the value of
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Since nobody is posting a solution (only 2 solvers till now though) and there are many who could not solve it, i think id better post one. So here it goes. First let ∠ Q B A = x . Then ∠ C B R = 9 0 ∘ − x . Note ∠ Q = ∠ R = ∠ P = 6 0 ∘
Applying Law's of sines in △ Q B A , we have
sin ( 1 2 0 ∘ − x ) Q B = sin 6 0 ∘ A B = s i n 6 0 ∘ 2 3 = 1
⟹ B Q = sin ( 1 2 0 ∘ − x ) . . . . . . ( i )
Again applying Laws of sines in △ R B C we will have after some simplification
B R = 3 2 sin ( 3 0 ∘ + x ) . . . . . ( i i )
Adding ( i ) and ( i i ) we get
B Q + B R = sin ( 1 2 0 ∘ − x ) + 3 2 sin ( 3 0 ∘ + x )
⟹ 2 = sin ( 1 2 0 ∘ − x ) + 3 2 sin ( 3 0 ∘ + x )
⟹ 2 3 = 3 sin ( 1 2 0 ∘ − x ) + 2 sin ( 3 0 ∘ + x )
After breaking up the compound angles by the well known formula and furthur simplifations we have
4 3 = 5 cos x + 3 3 sin x ⟹ 3 ( 4 − 3 sin x ) = 5 cos x
Now squaring both sides and using cos 2 x + s i n 2 x = 1 we have
5 2 sin 2 x − 7 2 sin x + 2 3 = 0 ⟹ ( 2 sin x − 1 ) ( 2 6 sin x − 2 3 ) = 0
Therefore either sin x = 2 1 ⟹ x = 3 0 ∘ or sin x = 2 6 2 3
x = 3 0 ∘ implies △ C R B is equilateral and hence B R = 1 . And if sin x = 2 6 2 3 , cos x = 2 6 7 3 . Therefore we have
B R = 3 2 ( 2 cos x + 2 3 sin x )
= 3 2 ( 2 × 2 6 7 3 + 2 × 2 0 3 × 2 3
= 2 6 7 + 2 6 2 3 = 2 6 3 0 ⟹ B R = 1 3 1 5
Hence the sum of all possible values of B R is 1 + 1 3 1 5 = 1 3 1 3 + 1 5 = 1 3 2 8
Hence a + b = 2 8 + 1 3 = 4 1