The Largest Rectangle

Geometry Level 5

A rectangle is divided into four triangles, as shown, which have integer areas A , B , C , D . A, B, C, D.

If A + B + C = 2018 , A+B+C=2018, find the maximum possible area of the rectangle.


The answer is 4032.

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1 solution

John Ross
Jul 27, 2018

Let the horizontal side of the rectangle be a a , the vertical side of the rectangle be b b , the horizontal leg of triangle C be e e , and the vertical leg of triangle C be f f . We can see that e f = 2 C ef=2C , ( a e ) b = 2 B (a-e)b=2B , and ( b f ) a = 2 A (b-f)a=2A . Multiplying the second and third equations together gives us a b ( a b a f e b + e f ) = 4 A B ab(ab-af-eb+ef)=4AB Adding the second and third equations together tells us that a f e b = 2 A + 2 B 2 a b -af-eb=2A+2B-2ab . Substituting this and the first equation into our other formula gives us a b ( a b + 2 A + 2 B 2 a b + 2 C ) = 4 A B ( a b ) 2 + ( 2 A 2 B 2 C ) a b + 4 A B = 0 a b = A + B + C ± ( A + B + C ) 2 4 A B ab(ab+2A+2B-2ab+2C)=4AB \implies (ab)^2+(-2A-2B-2C)ab +4AB=0 \implies ab=A+B+C \pm \sqrt{(A+B+C)^2-4AB} We know that a b = A + B + C + D ab=A+B+C+D , so this simplifies to D 2 + 4 A B = ( A + B + C ) 2 D^2+4AB=(A+B+C)^2 . Because A + B + C A+B+C is fixed, the entire rectangle will be maximized when D D is maximized. Thus we need to find a D D just under 2018 that satisfies D 2 + 4 A B = 201 8 2 D^2+4AB=2018^2 . 2017 and 2015 don't work because those would make the left side odd and the right side even. 2016 doesn't work because 201 8 2 201 6 2 = 4 2017 2018^2-2016^2=4*2017 and 2017 is prime so A A and B B would have to be 2017 and 1 which can't satisfy the equation A + B + C = 2018 A+B+C=2018 . The next possibility for D D is 2014 which does work, so the answer is 2018 + 2014 = 4032 2018+2014=\boxed{4032}

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