Trio-2

Geometry Level 3

a a , b b , and c c are real numbers and 0 θ 2 θ 0≤\theta≤2\theta .

If sin 2 ( θ ) = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b + b c + c a \sin^{2}(\theta)= \dfrac{a^{2}+b^{2}+c^{2}}{ab+bc+ca} , then find the number of solutions of θ . \theta.


The answer is 2.

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1 solution

Tom Engelsman
Jun 6, 2021

Knowing that sin 2 θ [ 0 , 1 ] \sin^{2} \theta \in [0,1] for all θ \theta , we can write:

0 a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b + a c + b c 1 \large 0 \le \frac{a^2+b^2+c^2}{ab+ac+bc} \le 1 (i)

However, we would require a 2 + b 2 + c 2 = 0 a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = 0 in order for the LHS equality to occur. This implies a = b = c = 0 a=b=c=0 , which poses a contradiction since the denominator would simultaneously equal zero as well. Thus, (i) is further restricted to:

0 < a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b + a c + b c 1 \large 0 < \frac{a^2+b^2+c^2}{ab+ac+bc} \le 1 (ii)

We know turn our attention to the RHS inequality, which can be manipulated to:

a 2 + b 2 + c 2 a b + a c + b c a^2+b^2+c^2 \le ab+ac+bc ;

or 2 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) 2 ( a b + a c + b c ) ; 2(a^2+b^2+c^2) \le 2(ab+ac+bc);

or ( a 2 2 a b + b 2 ) + ( a 2 2 a c + c 2 ) + ( b 2 2 b c + c 2 ) 0 ; (a^2-2ab+b^2) + (a^2-2ac+c^2)+(b^2-2bc+c^2) \le 0;

or ( a b ) 2 + ( a c ) 2 + ( b c ) 2 0 (a-b)^2 + (a-c)^2 + (b-c)^2 \le 0

which is valid iff a = b = c = K a=b=c=K for K R \ { 0 } . K \in \mathbb{R} \backslash \{0\}. This gives us the final result of sin 2 θ = 3 K 2 3 K 2 = 1 sin θ = ± 1 θ = arcsin ( 1 ) , arcsin ( 1 ) \large \sin^{2} \theta = \frac{3K^2}{3K^2} = 1 \Rightarrow \sin \theta = \pm1 \Rightarrow \boxed{\theta = \arcsin(1), \arcsin(-1)} , or two solutions.

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