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154 5 Geometry and Trigonometry

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

∠M  AB = ∠BAM, and ∠M  AC = ∠CAM,


5.1 Geometric Inequalities 155

Fig. 5.7

Fig. 5.8

therefore ∠M  AM  = 2∠BAC. Moreover, M  A = M  A = MA. It follows that


regardless of the position of M on BC, triangle M  AM  is isosceles, with fixed
angles.
All such triangles are similar to each other, so if M  M  is minimal, the sides
M A and M  A are also minimal. Clearly, this happens when MA is minimal, i.e.


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.

Solution Let the numbers be a1 , a2 , . . . , a7 . We can assume that

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.

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