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Fig. 5.6
It is not difficult to see that in this case BC MB is also a parallelogram, and the
side lengths of triangle CC M are equal to the lengths of the medians AA , BB ,
and CC .
Problem 2.14 Let A and B be two points situated on the same side of a line XY .
Find the position of a point M on the line such that the sum AM + MB is minimal.
Solution Let B be the reflection of B across the line XY . We claim that M is the
point of intersection of AB and XY .
Indeed, let M be another point on XY (see Fig. 5.6). By symmetry across XY ,
MB = MB and M B = M B. Then
AM + M B = AM + M B > AB = AM + MB = AM + MB.
Problem 2.15 Let ABC be an acute triangle. Find the positions of the points
M, N, P on the sides BC, CA, AB, respectively, such that the perimeter of the tri-
angle MNP is minimal.
Solution Let us fix M on the side BC and look for the positions of P and Q such
that the perimeter of triangle MNP is minimal. Reflect M across AB and AC to
obtain M and M , respectively.
If P and Q are points on the sides AB and AC, we have
MP + P Q + Q M = M P + P Q + Q M .
This sum is minimal when the points M , P , Q and M are collinear, so P and
Q are the points of intersection between M M and the sides AB and AC (see
Fig. 5.7). In this case, the perimeter of MP Q equals M M .
Now, the problem can be rephrased in the following way: find the point M on the
side BC such that the length of M M is minimal.
Observe that
Fig. 5.7
Fig. 5.8
when MA is an altitude of ABC (see Fig. 5.8). We conclude that the perimeter of
MP Q is minimal when M, P , and Q are the feet of the altitudes of the triangle
ABC (the so-called orthic triangle).
Problem 2.16 Seven real numbers are given in the interval (1, 13). Prove that at
least three of them are the lengths of a triangle’s sides.
a1 ≤ a2 ≤ · · · ≤ a7 .
Suppose by way of contradiction that no three of them are the lengths of a triangle’s
sides. We have a1 + a3 > a2 and a2 + a3 > a1 . Then a1 + a2 ≤ a3 , because if not,
then there would exist a triangle with side lengths a1 , a2 , a3 .
We deduce a3 ≥ 2. Similarly, we have a4 ≥ a3 + a2 ≥ 3, a5 ≥ a4 + a3 ≥ 5, a6 ≥
a5 + a4 ≥ 8 and, finally, a7 ≥ a6 + a5 ≥ 13, which is a contradiction.