Triangular 2,19,53.

Geometry Level 3

A point 'P' is chosen inside an equilateral triangle of side length 2014 2014 units and perpendiculars are drawn from this point to all three sides. Find the sum of these perpendiculars. If this can be expressed as a b a\sqrt b , find 2 ( a + b ) 2(a+b)


The answer is 2020.

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4 solutions

Kartik Sharma
Jul 21, 2014

I did it in a very easy and straight-forward way.

Join P and A, P and B and P and C.

Therefore, now we have 3 triangles namely PAC, PBC, and PAB inscribed inside ABC.

Now, Area of the small triangles will be equal to the area of triangle ABC.

Hence,

1/2 * 2014* P1 + 1/2 2014 P2 + 1/2 2014 P3 = sqrt(3)/4 * (2014)^2

(P1, P2, P3 denote the perpendiculars)

P1 + P2 + P3 = sqrt(3)/2 * 2014

=1007 sqrt(3)

Hence, 2(a + b) = 2*1010 = 2020

Excellent solution. You've my upvote

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 10 months ago

Exactly the same way I did it in. You're a genius :P

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

I am very disappointed with this question. All the 17 people who attempted it have solved it whereas out of the 5 people who got this question at school only I solved it :-/

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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LOL... you're a genious

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 10 months ago

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LOlwut! Me- I am nothing close to a genius!!

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar a level 5-level 4 in all except 2 subjects saying this!!!! Down to earth!!! Oh come on!!!You are and admit it!

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 10 months ago
Arya Samanta
Jul 24, 2014

Well I think Its easy to use the formula that for an Equilateral \triangle the sum of perpendicular distances from a random point in the circle to its sides is konstant and the value is , say s,

s = 3 2 × a s=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \times a

where a a is the side of the \triangle . [Here a = 2014 a=2014 ]

After that it is \dots . .

I really do not know if the sum always stays the same but I'll trust Krishna.

WLOG, we can assume that the chosen point is the point of intersection of all the three angle bisectors

Now, exploiting the obvious properties of triangles, you have: E F F B = tan 3 0 \frac{EF}{FB}=\tan{30^\circ}

Imgur Imgur

Because tan 3 0 \tan{30^\circ} is 1 3 \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}} , you have E F = 1007 3 EF=\frac{1007}{\sqrt{3}}

You've three perpendiculars, so the answer is three times that,i.e, 1007 3 1007\sqrt{3}

Hmm, You can count upon me :P but your solution is 100% incorrecT! LOL

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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The reason his solution is true is because it is obvious that the value must be a constant because it is true for all points p, otherwise there would be more than one right answer!

Nicolas Bryenton - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Not quite. In Math,assuming details not provided in a question may not always be right.

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar

Problem solving is war and any and every means is fair in it.

It is not an assumption. If the property is satisfied by any random point, it is satisfied by this point too.

Anyway, you can formulate a general solution with coordinate geometry

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 10 months ago

@Krishna Ar @Krishna Ar As LONG as the point P 'P' you have given is inside the triangle the sum of perpendicular distances from it to the sides is to be the same as from any other point in it as it is AN EQUILATERAL \triangle

P . S . P.S. Agnishom Chattopadhyay is undoubtedly correct is assuming it as a random point.

Arya Samanta - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Arya Samanta Itotally agree with you! I was mistaken earlier, later proved it and now concur with your thoughts :P. BTW, Which school in chennai IS ADAV? I've never heard of such a school ever!!!

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar I think you've already put me this question once in some other discussion..(probably, the solution of some other problem).. but that time I don't remember why I had not replied. Yep, there's no ADAV in Chennai which stands for Adani DAV Public School in Mundra, Gujarat. Its just a wrong information carried over by my GMAIL account. I have been in 5 diff. schools in 5 years and even more through the length and breadth of INDIA and that time I think I'd not updated it. Even in 3 years of staying in Chennai I've been in 3 diff... Now I think its too long for a comment to become a LETTER cum CHAT. give your email ID or take mine through my Brilliant account page in Q/A.

Arya Samanta - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Arya Samanta Points taken. I shall send you a mail soon. R'You a girl or a boy?

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar Confusion Agreed, But I AM option 2 2 .

Arya Samanta - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Arya Samanta xd haha...ha

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

What? Why? :/ What does the title mean?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 10 months ago

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Hi. :) The titale actually was supposed to be Triangular 2014 but i made it as 2.19.53 (Prime Factor :P ). Your solution is incorrect cos u cant assume P to be some random point but anyway good job. :)

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

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@Krishna Ar That is the assumption I am making. If the answer is same for all cases of P, then it should also work for this point.

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 6 years, 10 months ago

@Krishna Ar As LONG as the point P 'P' you have given is inside the triangle the sum of perpendicular distances from it to the sides is to be the same as from any other point in it as it is AN EQUILATERAL \triangle

P . S . P.S. @Agnishom Chattopadhyay is undoubtedly correct is assuming it as a random point.

Arya Samanta - 6 years, 10 months ago
Mital Pattni
Jul 20, 2014

perpendicular to all sides would be the radius of inscribed circle hence r=\frac { a }{ 6 } \sqrt { 3 }
=\left[ \frac { \sqrt { 3 } }{ 6 } 1007 \right] 3\ =2020

I appreciate your solution but kinldy write it more clearly.

Krishna Ar - 6 years, 10 months ago

Why would a random point inside an equilateral triangle create perpendiculars to all sides that are all equal to the radius of the inscribed circle? The point does not have to be the centroid of the equilateral triangle, it can be anywhere inside. Since we know this question has a unique answer, we can check the special case of the point being the centroid and get the right answer, but this is not the proof that all points inside the triangle create perpendiculars that add up to the same number.

mathh mathh - 6 years, 10 months ago

daum equation editor has been used...!!!!

Mital Pattni - 6 years, 10 months ago

Don't forget to surround all your Math with a n d and so your formatting looks nice!

Nicolas Bryenton - 6 years, 10 months ago

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