IMO 2001 · Problem 5

In a triangle \(ABC\), let \(AP\) bisect \(\angle BAC\), with \(P\) on \(BC\), and let \(BQ\) bisect \(\angle ABC\), with \(Q\) on \(CA\).

It is known that \(\angle BAC=60^\circ\) and that \(AB+BP=AQ+QB\).

What are the possible angles of triangle \(ABC\)?

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

Answer

\[ \boxed{\angle BAC=60^\circ,\qquad \angle ABC=80^\circ,\qquad \angle BCA=40^\circ.} \]

Solution

Put \(\angle ABC=2x\) and \(AB=c\). Since \(ABC\) is a triangle, \[ 0<x<60^\circ,\qquad \angle BCA=120^\circ-2x. \]

In triangle \(ABP\), the angles at \(A\) and \(P\) are \(30^\circ\) and \(150^\circ-2x\). The sine rule gives \[ \frac{BP}{c} =\frac{\sin30^\circ}{\sin(150^\circ-2x)} =\frac{1}{2\sin(30^\circ+2x)}. \] Similarly, in triangle \(ABQ\), the angles at \(B\) and \(Q\) are \(x\) and \(120^\circ-x\), so \[ \frac{AQ}{c}=\frac{\sin x}{\sin(120^\circ-x)}, \qquad \frac{QB}{c}=\frac{\sin60^\circ}{\sin(120^\circ-x)}. \]

Consequently, the given length equality is equivalent to \[ 1+\frac{1}{2\sin(30^\circ+2x)} =\frac{\sin x+\sin60^\circ}{\sin(60^\circ+x)}. \] By the sum-to-product and double-angle formulas, \[ \frac{\sin x+\sin60^\circ}{\sin(60^\circ+x)} =\frac{\cos(30^\circ-x/2)}{\cos(30^\circ+x/2)}. \] Subtracting \(1\), and using \[ \cos(30^\circ-x/2)-\cos(30^\circ+x/2)=\sin(x/2), \] we obtain \[ \frac{1}{2\sin(30^\circ+2x)} =\frac{\sin(x/2)}{\cos(30^\circ+x/2)}. \] All denominators are positive for \(0<x<60^\circ\). Thus \[ \begin{aligned} \cos(30^\circ+x/2) &=2\sin(30^\circ+2x)\sin(x/2)\\ &=\cos(30^\circ+3x/2)-\cos(30^\circ+5x/2). \end{aligned} \] Rearranging and applying the sum-to-product formula once more gives \[ \begin{aligned} \cos(30^\circ+3x/2) &=\cos(30^\circ+x/2)+\cos(30^\circ+5x/2)\\ &=2\cos(30^\circ+3x/2)\cos x. \end{aligned} \] Hence \[ (2\cos x-1)\cos(30^\circ+3x/2)=0. \]

Because \(0<x<60^\circ\), we have \(2\cos x-1>0\). Therefore \[ \cos(30^\circ+3x/2)=0. \] The angle \(30^\circ+3x/2\) lies strictly between \(30^\circ\) and \(120^\circ\), so it must equal \(90^\circ\). Thus \(x=40^\circ\), yielding the stated angles.

Conversely, \(x=40^\circ\) satisfies the factored equation above. Every preceding transformation is reversible on \(0<x<60^\circ\), so a triangle with angles \(60^\circ,80^\circ,40^\circ\) satisfies the required length equality. This proves both existence and uniqueness.

The solution was checked against Evan Chen's published IMO solution notes.