the angle of B?

Geometry Level 2

If the altitude, angle bisector and median that are drawn from vertex A A of A B C \triangle ABC divide A \angle A into four equal angles, what is the measure of B \angle B in degrees?


The answer is 22.5.

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1 solution

Let the mid point of B C \overline {BC} be D D . Then B = A B C = π 2 A 4 , C = A C B = π 2 3 A 4 B=\angle {ABC}=\dfrac{π}{2}-\dfrac{A}{4}, C=\angle {ACB}=\dfrac{π}{2}-\dfrac{3A}{4} , where A = B A C A=\angle {BAC} . Also, B D = D C , A D sin B = B D sin 3 A 4 A D B D = sin ( π 2 A 4 ) sin 3 A 4 = cos A 4 sin 3 A 4 |\overline {BD}|=|\overline {DC}|, \dfrac{|\overline {AD}|}{\sin B}=\dfrac{|\overline {BD}|}{\sin \dfrac{3A}{4}}\implies \dfrac{|\overline {AD}|}{|\overline {BD}|}=\dfrac{\sin (\dfrac{π}{2}-\dfrac{A}{4})}{\sin \dfrac{3A}{4}}=\dfrac{\cos \dfrac{A}{4}}{\sin \dfrac{3A}{4}} ,

A D D C = A D B D = cos 3 A 4 sin A 4 \dfrac{|\overline {AD}|}{|\overline {DC}|}=\dfrac{|\overline {AD}|}{|\overline {BD}|}=\dfrac{\cos \dfrac{3A}{4}}{\sin \dfrac{A}{4}} .

From these two we get sin 3 A 2 = sin A 2 A = π 2 B = 3 π 8 = 67.5 ° , C = π 8 = 22.5 ° \sin \dfrac{3A}{2}=\sin \dfrac{A}{2}\implies A=\dfrac{π}{2}\implies B=\dfrac{3π}{8}=67.5\degree, C=\dfrac{π}{8}=22.5\degree or the converse, that is, B = π 8 = 22.5 ° , C = 3 π 8 = 67.5 ° B=\dfrac{π}{8}=22.5\degree, C=\dfrac{3π}{8}=67.5\degree . So, both B = 22.5 ° B=\boxed {22.5\degree} and B = 67.5 ° B=\boxed {67.5\degree} are valid answers. To satisfy the answer given, the problem should ask for the smallest angle.

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