IMO 1960 · Problem 5

Consider the cube \(ABCDA'B'C'D'\) (with face \(ABCD\) directly above face \(A'B'C'D'\)).

(a) Find the locus of the midpoints of segments \(XY\), where \(X\) is any point of \(AC\) and \(Y\) is any point of \(B'D'\).

(b) Find the locus of points \(Z\) which lie on the segments \(XY\) of part (a) with \(ZY = 2XZ\).

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Answer

Let \(a>0\) be the edge length of the cube. Both loci include their entire interiors and boundaries.

(a) The closed square whose vertices, in cyclic order, are the midpoints of \(AB',CB',CD',AD'\). Its plane lies halfway between the two given faces, and its side length is \(a/\sqrt2\).

(b) The closed rectangle whose vertices, in cyclic order, are the points one-third of the way along \(AB',CB',CD',AD'\), starting from the unprimed endpoint. Its plane is parallel to \(ABCD\), at distance \(a/3\) below it, and its side lengths are \[ \frac{2a\sqrt2}{3}\qquad\text{and}\qquad\frac{a\sqrt2}{3}. \]

Solution

We establish both loci simultaneously. Fix \(t\) with \(0<t<1\), and consider the point \(W\) on \(XY\) satisfying \[ XW=t\,XY. \] Using position vectors with an arbitrary fixed origin, this means \[ W=(1-t)X+tY. \]

Every choice of \(X\in AC\) and \(Y\in B'D'\) can be written uniquely as \[ X=A+u(C-A),\qquad Y=B'+v(D'-B'), \qquad 0\le u,v\le1. \] Consequently, \[ W=P_t+uU_t+vV_t, \] where \[ P_t=(1-t)A+tB',\qquad U_t=(1-t)(C-A),\qquad V_t=t(D'-B'). \]

The directions \(AC\) and \(B'D'\) are perpendicular: \(AC\) is parallel to \(A'C'\), and \(A'C'\) and \(B'D'\) are the diagonals of a square. Moreover, \[ |AC|=|B'D'|=a\sqrt2. \] Thus \(U_t,V_t\) are nonzero perpendicular vectors of lengths \[ (1-t)a\sqrt2,\qquad ta\sqrt2. \]

It follows that \(P_t+uU_t+vV_t\), with \(u,v\in[0,1]\), describes exactly the closed rectangle with successive vertices \[ \begin{aligned} &(1-t)A+tB', &&(1-t)C+tB',\\ &(1-t)C+tD', &&(1-t)A+tD'. \end{aligned} \] Indeed, every point of this rectangle has such parameters \(u,v\); choosing the corresponding \(X,Y\) above produces that point. This proves both containment and attainability, including all edges and vertices.

Taking the lower face to have height \(0\) and the upper face height \(a\), every such \(W\) has height \((1-t)a\). Hence the rectangle lies in a plane parallel to the faces, at distance \(ta\) below the upper face.

For (a), a midpoint corresponds to \(t=\tfrac12\). The rectangle therefore has equal side lengths \[ \frac{a\sqrt2}{2}=\frac a{\sqrt2}, \] so it is precisely the square stated in the answer.

For (b), \(X\ne Y\) because they lie in distinct parallel planes. Since \(Z\in XY\) and \(ZY=2XZ\), \[ XY=XZ+ZY=3XZ. \] Thus \(t=\tfrac13\). Substituting this value into the rectangle description gives exactly the vertices, plane, and side lengths stated in part (b).

The solution was checked against John Scholes' IMO solution archive (Kalva).