Triangle ABC lies in the cartesian plane and has an area of 70. The coordinates of B and C are (12,19) and (23,20), respectively, and the coordinates of A are (p,q). The line containing the median to side BC has slope −5. Find the largest possible value of p+q.
解析
Solution 1
The midpoint M of line segment BC is (235,239). The equation of the median can be found by −5=p−235q−239. Cross multiply and simplify to yield that −5p+235⋅5=q−239, so q=−5p+107.
Use determinants to find that the area of △ABC is 21pq11219123201=70 (note that there is a missing absolute value; we will assume that the other solution for the triangle will give a smaller value of p+q, which is provable by following these steps over again) (alternatively, we could use the Shoelace Theorem). We can calculate this determinant to become 140=12192320−p23q20+p12q19⟹140=240−437−20p+23q+19p−12q=−197−p+11q. Thus, q=111p+11337.
Setting this equation equal to the equation of the median, we get that 111p+11337=−5p+107, so 1156p=11107⋅11−337. Solving produces that p=15. Substituting backwards yields that q=32; the solution is p+q=047.
Solution 2
Using the equation of the median from above, we can write the coordinates of A as (p,−5p+107). The equation of BC is 23−1220−19=x−12y−19, so x−12=11y−209. In general form, the line is x−11y+197=0. Use the equation for the distance between a line and point to find the distance between A and BC (which is the height of △ABC): 12+112∣1(p)−11(−5p+107)+197∣=122∣56p−980∣. Now we need the length of BC, which is (23−12)2+(20−19)2=122. The area of △ABC is 70=21bh=21(122∣56p−980∣)⋅122. Thus, ∣28p−490∣=70, and p=15,20. We are looking for p+q=−4p+107=47,27. The maximum possible value of p+q=047.
Solution 3
Again, the midpoint M of line segment BC is at (235,239). Let A′ be the point (17,22), which lies along the line through M of slope −5. The area of triangle A′BC can be computed in a number of ways (one possibility: extend A′B until it hits the line y=19, and subtract one triangle from another), and each such calculation gives an area of 14. This is 51 of our needed area, so we simply need the point A to be 5 times as far from M as A′ is. Thus A=(235,239)±5(−21,25), and the sum of coordinates will be larger if we take the positive value, so A=(235−25,239+225) and the answer is 235−25+239+225=047.
Solution 4
Plug points into the Shoelace Theorem. This will provide you with the equation ∣−p−197+11q∣=140. The find the midpoint of the line BC which is (17.5,19.5). Now using this post and the given slope of the median, −5, using basic algebra we can find the equation of the median which is q=−5p+107. Now that we have been given q in terms of p plug this equation back into ∣−p−197+11q∣=140. The result is the equation ∣980−56p∣=140. Solve this equation for two possible answers p=15,20. Plugging into q=−5p+107 these inputs produce q values 32 and 7. Obviously 15+32 is the greater sum so the answer is 47 and we are done.