That unknown angle

Geometry Level 2

Let A B C \bigtriangleup ABC be an isosceles triangle with A B \overline{\rm AB} = = A C \overline{\rm AC} and A \angle A = = 2 0 20^{\circ} . Let D D be a point on A C \overline{\rm AC} such that A D \overline{\rm AD} = = B C \overline{\rm BC} . Find the measure of A B D \angle ABD in degrees.

Bonus : Solve it without using trigonometry or coordinate geometry.

This problem is not original.


The answer is 10.

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4 solutions

Maria Kozlowska
Nov 27, 2020

Hi, can you please describe the order in which you construct these congruent segments? I can't see why they are all congruent.

Thanos Petropoulos - 6 months, 2 weeks ago

You do a zigzag from vertex A with segments of length BC until you reach the base. The angle measures confirm that it is doable.

Maria Kozlowska - 6 months, 2 weeks ago

I think this zigzag is possible for top vertex integer angle measures of: 4, 12, 20, 36, 60. In fact it is measures in the form of 180 2 n + 1 \dfrac{180}{2 n+1} where n is natural number which is number of "zigzag segments".

Maria Kozlowska - 6 months, 1 week ago

Thank you for sharing this idea. It is very interesting! So, in our case n = 4 n=4 . You don't count the two segments which are on sides A B AB and A C AC , right? Does it have to do with the diagonals of regular polygons?

Thanos Petropoulos - 6 months, 1 week ago

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It might have an interpretation relating diagonals of regular polygons, but i don't know one. The result can be derived by just drawing zigzag from the top vertex to the base and then repeatedly applying the exterior angle theorem.

Here is a simple proof : https://brilliant.org/discussions/thread/triangle-with-q-identical-lines/

Figure 1 Figure 1 We first consider a regular 18-gon constructed on side A B = s AB=s of A B C \triangle ABC , having A A as its circumcenter. Its vertices are labelled as seen on figure 1. We notice that diagonals A 5 A 16 {{A}_{5}}{{A}_{16}} and A 6 A 15 {{A}_{6}}{{A}_{15}} are parallel. Moreover, diagonal C A 11 C{{A}_{11}} is parallel to side A 15 A 16 {{A}_{15}}{{A}_{16}} . Hence A E A 16 A 15 AE{{A}_{16}}{{A}_{15}} is a parallelogram.

Thus, A E = A 15 A 16 ( 1 ) AE={{A}_{15}}{{A}_{16}}\ \ \ \ \ (1) Figure 2 Figure 2

In figure 2, A 5 A 16 A 6 A 15 {{A}_{5}}{{A}_{16}}\parallel {{A}_{6}}{{A}_{15}} and A 12 A 16 A 9 B {{A}_{12}}{{A}_{16}}\parallel {{A}_{9}}B , hence G H A 12 F GH{{A}_{12}}F is a parallelogram, thus, G F = H A 16 GF=H{{A}_{16}} .

Furthermore, due to pairs of parallel lines, G F A = H A 16 H \angle GFA=\angle H{{A}_{16}}H and F G A = A 16 H A 15 \angle FGA=\angle{{A}_{16}}H{{A}_{15}} . Consequently, by ASA, F G A = A 16 H A 15 \triangle FGA=\triangle {{A}_{16}}H{{A}_{15}} ,
which gives that A F = A 15 A 16 = s ( 2 ) AF={{A}_{15}}{{A}_{16}}=s\ \ \ \ \ (2) Figure 3 Figure 3

( 1 ) (1) and ( 2 ) (2) imply that both diagonals C A 11 C{{A}_{11}} and B A 9 B{{A}_{9}} intersect A C AC at the given point D D (figure 3). Because of this, m A B D = m A 9 A 10 2 A B D = 10 m\angle ABD=\dfrac{m\overset\frown{{{A}_{9}}{{A}_{10}}}}{2}\Rightarrow \angle ABD=\boxed{10{}^\circ} .

Hosam Hajjir
Nov 27, 2020

Let x = B D \overline{BD} , and y = A D = B C y = \overline{AD} = \overline{BC} and θ = A B D \theta = \angle ABD .

Noting that D C B = 8 0 \angle DCB = 80^{\circ} , then by applying the Law of Sines to A B D \triangle ABD and D B C \triangle DBC , we get,

sin 2 0 x = sin θ y \dfrac{\sin 20^{\circ}} { x} = \dfrac{ \sin \theta} { y }

and

sin 8 0 x = sin ( 2 0 + θ ) y \dfrac{\sin 80^{\circ}} { x} =\dfrac{ \sin (20^{\circ} + \theta) }{ y}

Dividing the two equations out, yields,

sin 2 0 sin 8 0 = sin θ sin ( 2 0 + θ ) \dfrac{\sin 20^{\circ}}{ \sin 80^{\circ} } = \dfrac{ \sin \theta }{ \sin (20^{\circ} + \theta) }

Cross multiplying,

sin 2 0 sin ( 2 0 + θ ) = sin 8 0 sin θ \sin 20^{\circ} \sin (20^{\circ} + \theta) = \sin 80^{\circ} \sin \theta

Using the identity sin ( A + B ) = sin A cos B + cos A sin B \sin(A + B) = \sin A \cos B + \cos A \sin B , the above equation becomes,

sin 2 0 ( sin 2 0 cos θ + cos 2 0 sin θ ) = sin 8 0 sin θ \sin 20^{\circ} ( \sin 20^{\circ} \cos \theta + \cos 20^{\circ} \sin \theta ) = \sin 80^{\circ} \sin \theta

Dividing through by cos θ \cos \theta , and collecting terms,

tan θ = sin 2 2 0 sin 8 0 sin 2 0 cos 2 0 = 0.1763269807084 \tan \theta = \dfrac{ \sin^2 20^{\circ} } { \sin 80^{\circ} - \sin 20^{\circ} \cos 20^{\circ} } = 0.1763269807084

Therefore, θ = tan 1 0.1763269807084 = 1 0 \theta = \tan^{-1} 0.1763269807084 = \boxed{10^{\circ} }

Rotate side A B AB 4 0 40^{\circ} clockwise around point A A such that B B ends up in a new position B B' . Draw B C B'C and B B B'B .

Observe that, in A B C \bigtriangleup AB'C , A B = A B = A C AB'=AB=AC and B A C \angle B'AC = = 40 + 20 = 6 0 40+20=60^{\circ} , which indicates that A B C \bigtriangleup AB'C is equilateral.

Also, observe that, in B B C \bigtriangleup B'BC & D B A \bigtriangleup DBA , B C = A D BC=AD (given), B C = A B = A B B'C=AB'=AB & B C B \angle B'CB = = A C B \angle ACB - A C B \angle ACB' = = 80 60 = 2 0 80-60=20^{\circ} = = B A D \angle BAD .

\Rightarrow B B C \bigtriangleup B'BC \cong B D A \bigtriangleup BDA (By A S A A-S-A criterion of congruence)

Hence, A B D \angle ABD = = C B B \angle CB'B = = A B B \angle AB'B - A B C \angle AB'C = = 180 40 2 \frac{180-40}{2} - 60 60 = = 70 60 70-60 = = 1 0 \boxed {10^{\circ}} .

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