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Difference between revisions of "2015 AIME I Problems/Problem 4"

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The other way is to use the Mean Geometry Theorem. Note that <math>\triangle BCE</math> and <math>\triangle BDA</math> are similar and have the same orientation. Note that <math>B</math> is the weighted average of <math>B</math> and <math>B</math>, <math>M</math> is the weighted average of <math>E</math> and <math>A</math>, and <math>N</math> is the weighted average of <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>. The weights are the same for all three averages. (The weights are actually just <math>\frac{1}{2}</math> and <math>\frac{1}{2}</math>, so these are also unweighted averages.) Thus, by the Mean Geometry Theorem, <math>\triangle BMN</math> is similar to both <math>\triangle BAD</math> and <math>\triangle BEC</math>, which means that <math>\triangle BMN</math> is equilateral.
 
The other way is to use the Mean Geometry Theorem. Note that <math>\triangle BCE</math> and <math>\triangle BDA</math> are similar and have the same orientation. Note that <math>B</math> is the weighted average of <math>B</math> and <math>B</math>, <math>M</math> is the weighted average of <math>E</math> and <math>A</math>, and <math>N</math> is the weighted average of <math>C</math> and <math>D</math>. The weights are the same for all three averages. (The weights are actually just <math>\frac{1}{2}</math> and <math>\frac{1}{2}</math>, so these are also unweighted averages.) Thus, by the Mean Geometry Theorem, <math>\triangle BMN</math> is similar to both <math>\triangle BAD</math> and <math>\triangle BEC</math>, which means that <math>\triangle BMN</math> is equilateral.
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==Solution 3==
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<math> AB = BD, BE = BC, \angle ABE = \angle CBD \implies  \triangle ABE= \triangle DBC \implies</math>
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medians <math>MB = MN, \angle ABM = \angle DBN \implies \angle MBN = \angle ABD - \angle ABM + \angle DBN = 60^\circ \implies \triangle MNB</math> is  equilateral triangle.
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The height of BCE is <math>2 \sqrt{3} \implies \frac {AE^2}{4} =\frac{ (16 + 2)^2 +2^2 \cdot 3}{4}  = 81 + 3 = 84.</math>
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<math>BM</math> is the median of <math>\triangle ABE \implies MB^2 = \frac {AB^2}{2} + \frac {BE^2}{2} - \frac {AE^2}{4}=16 \cdot 8 + 4 \cdot 2 – 84 = 52.</math>
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The area of <math>\triangle BMN</math>,<cmath>[BMN] = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} BM^2</cmath>=13 \sqrt{3} \implies \boxed{\textbf{507}}.$
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==

Revision as of 08:26, 1 September 2022

Problem

Point $B$ lies on line segment $\overline{AC}$ with $AB=16$ and $BC=4$. Points $D$ and $E$ lie on the same side of line $AC$ forming equilateral triangles $\triangle ABD$ and $\triangle BCE$. Let $M$ be the midpoint of $\overline{AE}$, and $N$ be the midpoint of $\overline{CD}$. The area of $\triangle BMN$ is $x$. Find $x^2$.

Diagram

[asy] pair A = (0, 0), B = (16, 0), C = (20, 0), D = (8, 8*sqrt(3)), EE = (18, 2*sqrt(3)), M = (9, sqrt(3)), NN = (14, 4*sqrt(3)); draw(A--B--D--cycle); draw(B--C--EE--cycle); draw(A--EE); draw(C--D); draw(B--M--NN--cycle); dot(A); dot(B); dot(C); dot(D); dot(EE); dot(M); dot(NN); label("A", A, SW); label("B", B, S); label("C", C, SE); label("D", D, N); label("E", EE, N); label("M", M, NW); label("N", NN, NE); [/asy]

Diagram by RedFireTruck (talk) 18:52, 15 February 2021 (EST)

Solution 1 (fastest)

Let point $A$ be at $(0,0)$. Then, $B$ is at $(16,0)$, and $C$ is at $(20,0)$. Due to symmetry, it is allowed to assume $D$ and $E$ are in quadrant 1. By equilateral triangle calculations, Point $D$ is at $(8,8\sqrt{3})$, and Point $E$ is at $(18,2\sqrt{3})$. By Midpoint Formula, $M$ is at $(9,\sqrt{3})$, and $N$ is at $(14,4\sqrt{3})$. The distance formula shows that $BM=BN=MN=2\sqrt{13}$. Therefore, by equilateral triangle area formula $\textbf{OR}$ by Shoelace Theorem, $x=13\sqrt{3}$, so $x^2$ is $\boxed{507}$.

Solution 2

Note that $AB=DB=16$ and $BE=BC=4$. Also, $\angle ABE = \angle DBC = 120^{\circ}$. Thus, $\triangle ABE \cong \triangle DBC$ by SAS.

From this, it is clear that a $60^{\circ}$ rotation about $B$ will map $\triangle ABE$ to $\triangle DBC$. This rotation also maps $M$ to $N$. Thus, $BM=BN$ and $\angle MBN=60^{\circ}$. Thus, $\triangle BMN$ is equilateral.

Using the Law of Cosines on $\triangle ABE$, \[AE^2 = 16^2 + 4^2 - 2\cdot 16\cdot 4\cdot\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right)\] \[AE = 4\sqrt{21}\] Thus, $AM=ME=2\sqrt{21}$.

Using Stewart's Theorem on $\triangle ABE$, \[AM\cdot ME\cdot AE + AE\cdot BM^2 = BE^2\cdot AM + BA^2\cdot ME\] \[BM = 2\sqrt{13}\]

Calculating the area of $\triangle BMN$, \[[BMN] = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} BM^2\] \[[BMN] = 13\sqrt{3}\] Thus, $x=13\sqrt{3}$, so $x^2 = 507$. Our final answer is $\boxed{507}$.

Admittedly, this is much more tedious than the coordinate solutions.

I also noticed that there are two more ways of showing that $\triangle BMN$ is equilateral:

One way is to show that $\triangle ADB$, $\triangle BMN$, and $\triangle ECB$ are related by a spiral similarity centered at $B$.

The other way is to use the Mean Geometry Theorem. Note that $\triangle BCE$ and $\triangle BDA$ are similar and have the same orientation. Note that $B$ is the weighted average of $B$ and $B$, $M$ is the weighted average of $E$ and $A$, and $N$ is the weighted average of $C$ and $D$. The weights are the same for all three averages. (The weights are actually just $\frac{1}{2}$ and $\frac{1}{2}$, so these are also unweighted averages.) Thus, by the Mean Geometry Theorem, $\triangle BMN$ is similar to both $\triangle BAD$ and $\triangle BEC$, which means that $\triangle BMN$ is equilateral.

Solution 3

$AB = BD, BE = BC, \angle ABE = \angle CBD \implies \triangle ABE= \triangle DBC \implies$ medians $MB = MN, \angle ABM = \angle DBN \implies \angle MBN = \angle ABD - \angle ABM + \angle DBN = 60^\circ \implies \triangle MNB$ is equilateral triangle. The height of BCE is $2 \sqrt{3} \implies \frac {AE^2}{4} =\frac{ (16 + 2)^2 +2^2 \cdot 3}{4} = 81 + 3 = 84.$ $BM$ is the median of $\triangle ABE \implies MB^2 = \frac {AB^2}{2} + \frac {BE^2}{2} - \frac {AE^2}{4}=16 \cdot 8 + 4 \cdot 2 – 84 = 52.$ The area of $\triangle BMN$,\[[BMN] = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} BM^2\]=13 \sqrt{3} \implies \boxed{\textbf{507}}.$

See Also

2015 AIME I (Problems • Answer Key • Resources)
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Problem 3 		Followed by
Problem 5
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