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2015 AMC 10B Problem 19

Problem 19 of 25HarderGeometry

In ABC,\triangle{ABC}, C=90\angle{C} = 90^{\circ} and AB=12.AB = 12. Squares ABXYABXY and ACWZACWZ are constructed outside of the triangle. The points X,X, Y,Y, Z,Z, and WW lie on a circle. What is the perimeter of the triangle?

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Solution

The center of the circle through X,Y,Z,WX,Y,Z,W lies on the perpendicular bisectors of XYXY and ZWZW. These are also the perpendicular bisectors of ABAB and ACAC, so the same point is the circumcenter of right triangle ABCABC. Therefore the center is the midpoint OO of hypotenuse ABAB, so OA=OB=OC=6OA=OB=OC=6. Let a=12BCa=\frac12BC and b=12CAb=\frac12CA. Then a2+b2=62a^2+b^2=6^2. From the square on ABAB, OX2=62+122=180OX^2=6^2+12^2=180. From the square on ACAC, the corresponding radius also gives OW2=b2+(a+2b)2OW^2=b^2+(a+2b)^2. Hence b2+(a+2b)2=180.b^2+(a+2b)^2=180. Subtracting a2+b2=36a^2+b^2=36 from this equation gives b(a+b)=36b(a+b)=36. But a2+b2=36a^2+b^2=36 as well, so ab=a2ab=a^2. Since a>0a>0, we get a=b=32a=b=3\sqrt{2}. Thus AC=BC=62AC=BC=6\sqrt{2}, and the perimeter is 12+12212+12\sqrt{2}. Thus, the correct answer is C.

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Concepts: circumcircle, circumcenter, and circumradius · right triangle · perpendicular bisector

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.