2022 AIME I Problems/Problem 3

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Problem

In isosceles trapezoid $ABCD$, parallel bases $\overline{AB}$ and $\overline{CD}$ have lengths $500$ and $650$, respectively, and $AD=BC=333$. The angle bisectors of $\angle{A}$ and $\angle{D}$ meet at $P$, and the angle bisectors of $\angle{B}$ and $\angle{C}$ meet at $Q$. Find $PQ$.

Diagram

[asy] unitsize(0.016cm); pair A = (-250,324.4); pair B = (250, 324.4); pair C = (325, 0); pair D = (-325, 0); draw(A--B--C--D--cycle); pair W = (8,0); pair X = (-8, 0); pair Y = (-83,324.4); pair Z = (83,324.4);  pair P = (-121, 162.2); pair Q = (121, 162.2); dot(P); dot(Q);  draw(A--W, dashed); draw(B--X, dashed); draw(C--Y, dashed); draw(D--Z, dashed); label("$A$", A, N); label("$B$", B, N); label("$Y$", Y, N); label("$Z$", Z, N); label("$C$", C, S); label("$D$", D, S); label("$W$", W, SE); label("$X$", X, SW); label("$P$", P, N); label("$Q$", Q, N); [/asy]

Solution

Extend lines $AP$ and $BQ$ to meet line $DC$ at points $W$ and $X$, respectively, and extend lines $DP$ and $CQ$ to meet $AB$ at points $Z$ and $Y$, respectively.

Claim: quadrilaterals $AZWD$ and $BYXD$ are rhombuses.

Proof: Since $\angle DAB + \angle ADC = 180^{\circ}$, $\angle ADP + \angle PAD = 90^{\circ}$. Therefore, triangles $APD$, $APZ$, $DPW$ and $PZW$ are all right triangles. By SAA congruence, the first three triangles are congruent; by SAS congruence, $\triangle PZW$ is congruent to the other three. Therefore, $AD = DW = WZ = AZ$, so $AZWD$ is a rhombus. By symmetry, $BYXC$ is also a rhombus.

Extend line $PQ$ to meet $\overline{AD}$ and $\overline{BC}$ at $R$ and $S$, respectively. Because of rhombus properties, $RP = QS = \frac{333}{2}$. Also, by rhombus properties, $R$ and $S$ are the midpoints of segments $AD$ and $BC$, respectively; therefore, by trapezoid properties, $RS = \frac{AB + CD}{2} = 575$. Finally, $PQ = RS - RP - QS = \boxed{242}$.

~ihatemath123

See Also

2022 AIME I (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 2
Followed by
Problem 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All AIME Problems and Solutions