HMMT 2013

Saturday 16 February 2013

Geometry Test
1. Jarris the triangle is playing in the (x, y) plane. Let his maximum y coordinate be k. Given that he
has side lengths 6, 8, and 10 and that no part of him is below the x-axis, find the minimum possible
value of k.
24
Answer: 5 By playing around, we find that Jarris should have his hypotenuse flat on the x-
axis. The desired minimum value of k is then the length of the altitude to the hypotenuse. Thus, by
computing the area of the triangle in two ways, 21 · 10 · k = 21 · 6 · 8 and so k = 24
5 .

2. Let ABCD be an isosceles trapezoid such that AD = BC, AB = 3, and CD = 8. Let E be a point in
the plane such that BC = EC and AE ⊥ EC. Compute AE.
√
Answer: 2 6 Let r = BC = EC = AD. △ACE has right angle at E, so by the Pythagorean
Theorem,
AE 2 = AC 2 − CE 2 = AC 2 − r2
Let the height of △ACD at A intersect DC at F . Once again, by the Pythagorean Theorem,
µ ¶2 µ ¶2 µ ¶2
8−3 11 5
AC 2 = F C 2 + AF 2 = + 3 + AD2 − DF 2 = + r2 −
2 2 2

Plugging into the first equation,

µ ¶2 µ ¶2
11 5
AE 2 = + r2 − − r2 ,
2 2
√
so AE = 2 6.

3. Let A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 be a convex hexagon such that Ai Ai+2 k Ai+3 Ai+5 for i = 1, 2, 3 (we take
Ai+6 = Ai for each i). Segment Ai Ai+2 intersects segment Ai+1 Ai+3 at Bi , for 1 ≤ i ≤ 6, as
shown. Furthermore, suppose that △A1 A3 A5 ∼= △A4 A6 A2 . Given that [A1 B5 B6 ] = 1, [A2 B6 B1 ] =
4, and [A3 B1 B2 ] = 9 (by [XY Z] we mean the area of △XY Z), determine the area of hexagon
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 .

(not to scale) A1
1
A2 A6
4 B6 B5
B1 ? B4
9
B2B3
A3 A5
A4

Answer: 22 Because B6 A3 B3 A6 and B1 A4 B4 A1 are parallelograms, B6 A3 = A6 B3 and A1 B1 =

A4 B4 . By the congruence of the large triangles A1 A3 A5 and A2 A4 A6 , A1 A3 = A4 A6 . Thus, B6 A3 +
A1 B1 − A1 A3 = A6 B3 + A4 B4 − A4 A6 , so B6 B1 = B3 B4 . Similarly, opposite sides of hexagon
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 are equal, and implying that the triangles opposite each other on the outside of this
hexagon are congruent.
Furthermore, by definition B5 B6 k A3 A5 , B3 B4 k A1 A3 , B6 B1 k A4 A6 andB1 B2 k A1 A5 . Let the area
of triangle A1 A3 A5 and triangle A2 A4 A6 be k 2 . Then, by similar triangles,

Geometry Test
 r
1 A1 B6
=
k2 A1 A3
r
4 B6 B1 B1 B6
2
= =
k A4 A6 A1 A3
r
9 A3 B1
2
=
k A1 A3

Summing yields 6/k = 1, so k 2 = 36. To finish, the area of B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 is equivalent to the area
of the triangle A1 A3 A5 minus the areas of the smaller triangles provided in the hypothesis. Thus, our
answer is 36 − 1 − 4 − 9 = 22.
4. Let ω1 and ω2 be circles with centers O1 and O2 , respectively, and radii r1 and r2 , respectively. Suppose
that O2 is on ω1 . Let A be one of the intersections of ω1 and ω2 , and B be one of the two intersections
of line O1 O2 with ω2 . If AB = O1 A, find all possible values of rr12 .
√ √
−1+ 5 1+ 5
Answer: 2 , 2 There are two configurations to this problem, namely, B in between the
segment O1 O2 and B on the ray O1 O2 passing through the side of O2 Case 1: Let us only consider
the triangle ABO2 . AB = AO1 = O1 O2 = r1 because of the hypothesis and AO1 and O1 O2 are radii
of w1 . O2 B = O2 A = r2 because they are both radii of w2 .
Then by the isosceles triangles, ∠AO1 B = ∠ABO1 = ∠ABO2 = ∠O2 AB. Thus can establish that
△ABO1 ∼ △O2 AB.
Thus,
r2 r1
=
r1 r2 − r1
r12 − r22 + r1 r2 = 0
By straightforward quadratic equation computation and discarding the negative solution,
√
r1 −1 + 5
=
r2 2
Case 2: Similar to case 1, let us only consider the triangle ABO1 . AB = AO1 = O1 O2 = r1 because
of the hypothesis and AO1 and O1 O2 are radii of w1 . O2 B = O2 A = r2 because they are both radii of
w2 .
Then by the isosceles triangles, ∠AO1 B = ∠ABO1 = ∠ABO2 = ∠O2 AB. Thus can establish that
△ABO1 ∼ △O2 AB.
Now,
r2 r1
=
r1 r2 + r1
r12 − r22 − r1 r2 = 0
By straightforward quadratic equation computation and discarding the negative solution,
√
r1 1+ 5
=
r2 2

5. In triangle ABC, ∠A = 45◦ and M is the midpoint of BC. AM intersects the circumcircle of ABC
for the second time at D, and AM = 2M D. Find cos ∠AOD, where O is the circumcenter of ABC.
√
Answer: − 18 ∠BAC = 45◦ , so ∠BOC = 90◦ . If the radius of the circumcircle is r, BC = 2r,
√
and BM = CM = 22 r. By power of a point, BM · CM = AM · DM , so AM = r and DM = 12 r, and
AD = 32 r. Using the law of cosines on triangle AOD gives cos ∠AOD = − 81 .

Geometry Test
6. Let ABCD be a quadrilateral such that ∠ABC = ∠CDA = 90◦ , and BC = 7. Let E and F be on
BD such that AE and CF are perpendicular to BD. Suppose that BE = 3. Determine the product
of the smallest and largest possible lengths of DF .
Answer: 9 By inscribed angles, ∠CDB = ∠CAB, and ∠ABD = ∠ACD. By definition,
∠AEB = ∠CDA = ∠ABC = ∠CF A. Thus, △ABE ∼ △ADC and △CDF ∼ △CAB. This shows
that
BE CD DF AB
= and =
AB CA CD BD
Based on the previous two equations, it is sufficient to conclude that 3 = EB = F D. Thus, F D must
equal to 3, and the product of its largest and smallest length is 9.
7. Let ABC be an obtuse triangle with circumcenter O such that ∠ABC = 15◦ and ∠BAC > 90◦ .
Suppose that AO meets BC at D, and that OD2 + OC · DC = OC 2 . Find ∠C.
Answer: 35 Let the radius of the circumcircle of △ABC be r.

OD2 + OC · CD = OC 2
OC · CD = OC 2 − OD2
OC · CD = (OC + OD)(OC − OD)
OC · CD = (r + OD)(r − OD)
By the power of the point at D,
OC · CD = BD · DC
r = BD

Then, △OBD and △OAB and △AOC are isosceles triangles. Let ∠DOB = α. ∠BAO = 90 − α2 . In
△ABD, 15 + 90 − α2 = α. This means that α = 70. Furthermore, ∠ACB intercepts minor arc AB,
thus ∠ACB = ∠AOB
2 = 70
2 = 35

8. Let ABCD be a convex quadrilateral. Extend line CD past D to meet line AB at P and extend line
CB past B to meet line AD at Q. Suppose that line AC bisects ∠BAD. If AD = 74 , AP = 212 , and
AB = 14
11 , compute AQ.
42 1 1 1 1
Answer: 13 We prove the more general statement AB + AP = AD + AQ , from which the answer
easily follows.
Denote ∠BAC = ∠CAD = γ, ∠BCA = α, ∠ACD = β. Then we have that by the law of sines,
AC AC sin(γ+α) sin(γ−β) sin(γ−α) sin(γ+β) AC AC
AB + AP = sin(α) + sin(β) = sin(α) + sin(β) = AD + AQ where we have simply used the sine
addition formula for the middle step.
Dividing the whole equation by AC gives the desired formula, from which we compute AQ = ( 11
14 +
2 4 −1 42
21 − 7 ) = 13 .
9. Pentagon ABCDE is given with the following conditions:
(a) ∠CBD + ∠DAE = ∠BAD = 45◦ , ∠BCD + ∠DEA = 300◦
√ √ √
BA 2 2 7 5 15 2
(b) DA = 3 , CD = 3 , and DE = 4
(c) AD2 · BC = AB · AE · BD
Compute BD.
√
Answer: 39 As a preliminary, we may compute that by the law of cosines, the ratio AD
= √3 .
BD 5
AP
Now, construct the point P in triangle ABD such that △AP B ∼ △AED. Observe that AD =
AE·AB BC
AD·AD = BD (where we have used first the similarity and then condition 3). Furthermore, ∠CBD =
∠DAB − ∠DAE = ∠DAB − ∠P AB = ∠P AD so by SAS, we have that △CBD ∼ △P AD.

Geometry Test
 AB AD
Therefore, by the similar triangles, we may compute P B = DE · AD = 5 and P D = CD · BD = 7.
Furthermore, ∠BP D = 360 − ∠BP√ A − ∠DP A = 360 − ∠BCD − ∠DEA = 60 and therefore, by the
law of cosines, we have that BD = 39.

10. Triangle ABC is inscribed in a circle ω. Let the bisector of angle A meet ω at D and BC at E. Let
the reflections of A across D and C be D′ and C ′ , respectively. Suppose that ∠A = 60◦ , AB = 3, and
AE = 4. If the tangent to ω at A meets line BC at P , and the circumcircle of AP D′ meets line BC
at F (other than P ), compute F C ′ .
p √
Answer: 2 13 − 6 3 First observe that by angle chasing, ∠P AE = 180 − 21 ∠BAC − ∠ABC =
∠AEP , so by the cyclic quadrilateral AP D′ F , ∠EF D′ = ∠P AE = ∠P EA = ∠D′ EF . Thus, ED′ F
is isosceles.
Define B ′ to be the reflection of A about B, and observe that B ′ C ′ ||EF and B ′ D′ C ′ is isosceles. It
follows that B ′ EF C ′ is an isosceles trapezoid, so F C ′ = B ′ E, which by the law of cosines, is equal to
√ p √
2
AB + AE − 2AB · AE cos 30 = 2 13 − 6 3.
′2

Geometry Test