Rinse and repeat ....

Geometry Level 5

Suppose a cyclical quadrilateral A B C D ABCD is such that

(i) A B = A D = 1 AB = AD = 1 ,

(ii) C D = cos ( A B C ) CD = \cos(\angle ABC) and

(iii) cos ( B A D ) = 1 3 . \cos(\angle BAD) = -\dfrac{1}{3}.

The ratio of the area of A B C D ABCD to the area of the circle in which it is inscribed can be expressed as a b c π \dfrac{a\sqrt{b}}{c\pi} , where a , c a,c are positive coprime integers and b b is a positive square-free integer.

Find a + b + c a + b + c .


The answer is 19.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

First, using the Cosine Law we have that

( B D ) 2 = ( A B ) 2 + ( A D ) 2 2 ( A B ) ( A D ) cos ( B A D ) = (BD)^{2} = (AB)^{2} + (AD)^{2} - 2*(AB)(AD)\cos(\angle BAD) =

2 2 ( 1 3 ) = 8 3 B D = 8 3 . 2 - 2*(-\frac{1}{3}) = \frac{8}{3} \Longrightarrow BD = \sqrt{\frac{8}{3}}.

Now let C D = cos ( A B C ) = x CD = \cos(\angle ABC) = x . Since A B C D ABCD is cyclic we have that

cos ( A D C ) = cos ( A B C ) = x \cos(\angle ADC) = -\cos(\angle ABC) = -x and

cos ( B C D ) = cos ( B A D ) = 1 3 \cos(\angle BCD) = -\cos(\angle BAD) = \frac{1}{3} .

Nwxt, since Δ A B C \Delta ABC and Δ A D C \Delta ADC have chord A C AC in common, we can use the Cosine Law to set up the following equation:

1 2 + x 2 2 ( 1 ) ( x ) cos ( A D C ) = 1 2 + ( B C ) 2 2 ( 1 ) ( B C ) cos ( A B C ) 1^{2} + x^{2} - 2(1)(x)\cos(\angle ADC) = 1^{2} + (BC)^{2} - 2(1)(BC)\cos(\angle ABC)

1 + x 2 2 x ( x ) = 1 + ( B C ) 2 2 ( B C ) ( x ) \Longrightarrow 1 + x^{2} - 2x*(-x) = 1 + (BC)^{2} - 2(BC)(x)

( B C ) 2 2 x ( B C ) 3 x 2 = 0 ( B C 3 x ) ( B C + x ) = 0. \Longrightarrow (BC)^{2} - 2x*(BC) - 3x^{2} = 0 \Longrightarrow (BC - 3x)(BC + x) = 0.

Now since B C > 0 BC \gt 0 we have that B C = 3 x BC = 3x . But since the sides D C DC and B C BC are in the ratio x : 3 x 1 : 3 x : 3x \Longrightarrow 1 : 3 and cos ( B C D ) = 1 3 \cos(\angle BCD) = \frac{1}{3} we can conclude that Δ B C D \Delta BCD is a right triangle with B D C = 9 0 \angle BDC = 90^{\circ} . This implies that B C BC is a diameter of the circle in which A B C D ABCD is inscribed.

Using Pythagoras, we then have that

( B C ) 2 = ( C D ) 2 + ( B D ) 2 9 x 2 = x 2 + 8 3 x = C D = 3 3 , (BC)^{2} = (CD)^{2} + (BD)^{2} \Longrightarrow 9x^{2} = x^{2} + \frac{8}{3} \Longrightarrow x = CD = \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{3},

as x > 0 x \gt 0 , and so B C = 3 x = 3 . BC = 3x = \sqrt{3}.

So with these side lengths, we can apply the formula for the area of a cyclic quadrilateral, namely

( s t ) ( s u ) ( s v ) ( s w ) \sqrt{(s - t)(s - u)(s - v)(s - w)}

where t , u , v , w t,u,v,w are the side lengths and s = t + u + v + w 2 . s = \dfrac{t + u + v + w}{2}.

With s = 1 + 1 + 3 3 + 3 2 = 1 + 2 3 3 s = \dfrac{1 + 1 + \frac{\sqrt{3}}{3} + \sqrt{3}}{2} = 1 + \dfrac{2}{3}\sqrt{3} the area calculation becomes

( 2 3 3 ) 2 ( 1 + 3 3 ) ( 1 3 3 ) = 2 3 2 . \sqrt{(\dfrac{2\sqrt{3}}{3})^{2}(1 + \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{3})(1 - \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{3})} = \dfrac{2}{3}\sqrt{2}.

The area of the circle is π ( 3 2 ) 2 = 3 4 π \pi*(\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2})^{2} = \dfrac{3}{4}\pi ,

so the desired ratio is 2 3 2 3 4 π = 8 2 9 π \dfrac{\frac{2}{3}\sqrt{2}}{\frac{3}{4}\pi} = \dfrac{8\sqrt{2}}{9\pi} .

Thus a + b + c = 8 + 2 + 9 = 19 a + b + c = 8 + 2 + 9 = \boxed{19} .

Hi sir . Enjoyed solving this question but I have a small problem . While solving this question , I tried to tackle this question by creating cases of generality .

First I assumed BC to be equal to CD , I found that I was wrong right away .

Second I let angle DBC as 90 and solved . No output . Then I let angles ADC and ABC to be equal to 90 degrees and solved , no output . Then I let angle BDC = 90 degree since 3 x x 3x \geq x , only then was I able to solve it .

Can you please tell me how angles BDC = 90 degree ? Sorry, but couldn't understand it from your solution .

Thanks for the same .

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 4 months ago

Log in to reply

I'm glad that you enjoyed working on the problem.

Taking a look at triangle Δ B C D \Delta BCD in isolation, let C D = x CD = x be the base. Then C B = 3 x CB = 3x makes an angle B C D \angle BCD with C D CD . Since cos ( B C D ) = 1 3 \cos(\angle BCD) = \frac{1}{3} , we know that when we "drop" a perpendicular from B B to the line on which C D CD lies, it will intersect this line at D D . This implies that B D C = 9 0 \angle BDC = 90^{\circ} . Hope that makes sense. :)

Brian Charlesworth - 6 years, 4 months ago

Log in to reply

Thanks a lot sir !! In my hurry to solve the question , I missed out on a couple of things and ignored some basic facts and this being one of them . Yeah, haste makes waste .

Thanks again sir .

A Former Brilliant Member - 6 years, 4 months ago

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...