AoPS Community Geometry Problems Solutions

www.artofproblemsolving.com/community/c575024
by rd123, tworigami

Note Diagrams aren’t to scale

Solution 1 Let P be a point that is 3 units away from a circle of radius 12, and let P be
outside the circle. The two tangents from P hit the circle at points A and B.
Find the length AB.
Solution

A B

12

Since P A is tangent to the circle, ∠OAP is a right angle. Since P O = 3 + 12 = 15 and OA = 12,
we have P A = 9.The area of 4OAP = 9 · 12/2 = 54. The area is also 15h/2, where h is the
altitude from A to P O. Solving 54 = 15h/2, we get h = 36 5 . Since this is only half of AB (this
72
will become apparent when the diagram is drawn), we get AB = .
5
Proposed by Rishabh Das

Solution 2 Let 4ABC be a right triangle, with the right angle at Point B. AB = 24
and AC = 40. The angle bisector of ∠BAC hits line BC at D. Find the
length of AD.
Solution

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AoPS Community Geometry Problems Solutions
A

B D C

By the pythagorean theorem, we get BC = 32. By the angle bisector theorem, we get 24 3
40 = 5 =
DC . Since BD + DC = BC = 32, we know that BD = 12 and DC = 20. By the pythagorean
BD
√
theorem, we get AD = 12 5 .
Proposed by Rishabh Das

Solution 3 Cevians BE, and CF meet sides AC and AB respectively (at points E and F ) in 4ABC,
and their
intersection point is P . The area of 4BP C is 9, and the areas of 4BP F , and 4CP E are both
5. Compute the area of quadrilateral AF P E.
Solution

F 5
P 9
Y
X 5
A E C

Draw AP and let [AP E] = X and [AP F ] = Y .

Since the two triangles 4ABE and 4EBC have the same altitude from B, we know that
[ABE] [AP E] [ABE] [AP E]
[EBC] = EC . Similarly, [EP C] = EC .Thus, [EBC] = [EP C] . Rewriting the areas into the things we
AE AE

know, we have X+Y14

+5
= X5 . Cross multiplying and rearranging gives us 9X − 5Y = 25. Doing
the same things with side AB instead of AC, we get 9Y − 5X = 25. Adding the two equations
25
gives us 4X + 4Y = 50, so X + Y =
2

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AoPS Community Geometry Problems Solutions

Proposed by Tovi Wen

Solution 4 Quadrilateral ABCD has AB = 5, BC = 6, and CD = 7. A circle Γ is inscribed inside

ABCD, so that Γ hits each side of ABCD exactly once. Find the length of AD.
Solution

5
A a b B

a b

d c

D d c C
7

By equal tangents, we can label the diagram as shown. AB + CD = (a + b) + (c + d) =

(b + c) + (a + d) = BC + AD.Thus, 12 = 6 + AD so AD = 6 .
Proposed by Tovi Wen

Solution 5 A unit circle is drawn, and an equilateral triangle 4ABC is drawn such that one side (BC)
of the equilateral triangle is the diameter of the circle. The triangle touches the four sides of
the circle 4 times, two of which are B and C. Let the other two be D and E. Find the area of
quadrilateral BEDC.
Solution

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AoPS Community Geometry Problems Solutions
A

E D

B C
O

Let the center of the circle be a point O. By definition, we have OB = OC = OE = OD = 1.

Therefore, as they have three congruent sides, triangles 4BEO,4OCD are equilateral also.
Therefore, as all angles of an equilateral triangle are equal, and all angles in a triangle sum to
180◦ . From this information, we can extrapolate that ∠EOD = 60◦ , and as 4DOE is clearly
isosceles, we have ∠EDO =∠DEO =∠EOD = 60◦ , implying that 4EOD is equilateral also.
Therefore, as each of the triangles are congruent, and have side length half that of 4ABC,
we get that the area of the quadrilateral is merely 43 the area of the large triangle. [BEDC] =
 √  √
3 22 3 3 3
4 4 = .
4
Proposed by Rishabh Das

Solution 7 _
Equilateral 4ABC has side length 7 and circumcircle Λ. Point P lies on minor arc BC such
that BP = 3, CP = 5. What is the length AP ?
Solution

B C

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AoPS Community Geometry Problems Solutions

Note that ABCP is a cyclic quadrilateral, and that AB = BC = AC = x as 4ABC is equilat-

eral. Also, let AP = Y.Then, from Ptolemy’s theorem, we get AB · CP + AC · BD = AP · BC.
Substituting values gives us x · 5 + 3 · x = xy. Dividing through x gives us 5 + 3 = 8 = y

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