We say that a polygon P is inscribed in another polygon Q when all vertices of P belong to perimeter of Q. We also say in this case that Q is circumscribed to P. Given a triangle T, let l be the maximum value of the side of a square inscribed in T and L be the minimum value of the side of a square circumscribed to T. Prove that for every triangle T the inequality L/l≥2 holds and find all the triangles T for which the equality occurs.
Problem
Source: Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad 2018 - Q1
Tags: Inequality, geometry, triangle inequality, inequalities, Brazilian Math Olympiad, Brazilian Math Olympiad 2018
18.11.2018 11:14
It is easy to get l=max and L = \min (\max(a,h_a),\max(b,h_b),\max(c,h_c)). Case 1. a =\min (\max(a,h_a),\max(b,h_b),\max(c,h_c)). Case 1.1. a+h_a = \min (a+h_a,b+h_b,c+h_c). Now \frac{L}{l} = \frac{a(a+h_a)}{ah_a} = \frac{a+h_a}{h_a} = \frac{a}{h_a} + 1\geq 1 + 1 =2.Case 1.2. b+h_b = \min (a+h_a,b+h_b,c+h_c). We have a\geq h_a. Suppose b\geq h_b then, a\leq b giving h_a \geq h_b. Therefore we have b\geq a \geq h_a \geq h_b. Also b+h_b\leq a+h_a and as ah_a = bh_b, therefore a=b and h_a = h_b which is same as case 1.1. Suppose h_b\geq b, then a\leq h_b, also a\geq h_a. Therefore h_b\geq a \geq h_a, also as bh_b = ah_a, h_a \geq b. Again h_b\geq a\geq h_a\geq b but b+h_b \leq a + h_a, so a=h_b and b = h_a again boiling down to case 1.1. Case 2. h_a =\min (\max(a,h_a),\max(b,h_b),\max(c,h_c)). Case 2.1. a+h_a = \min (a+h_a,b+h_b,c+h_c). Now \frac{L}{l} = \frac{h_a(a+h_a)}{ah_a} = \frac{a+h_a}{a} = \frac{h_a}{a} + 1\geq 1 + 1 =2. Case 2.2. b+h_b = \min (a+h_a,b+h_b,c+h_c). We have h_a \geq a. Suppose b\geq h_b, then h_a\leq b. Then as ah_a=bh_b, b\geq h_a \geq a\geq h_b. But b+h_b\geq a + h_a which gives b=h_a which gives case 2.1.. If b\leq h_b, then h_a \leq h_b and a\geq b. Therefore h_b\geq h_a \geq a\geq b which gives a=b again giving case 2.1. Equality holds for a=h_a or b=h_b or c=h_c \qquad \square I don't know if this works
18.11.2018 15:13
a is x side of the triangle and let h be the height relating to it then the maximum side of inscribed square is max \frac{xh}{x+h} but the minimum side of the circumscribed square is \underset{\text{cyclically}}{\Large\text {min}} \ \ \frac{b^2+c^2-a^2}{2\sqrt{b^2+c^2-2bc\sin A}}...
19.11.2018 06:04
Sketch: Let \mathcal{S} and \mathcal{S}' be any squares circumscribed about and inscribed in a triangle \mathcal{T}. The idea is to prove the easy inequalities 2[\mathcal{S}'] \le [\mathcal{T}] \quad \text{and} \quad 2[\mathcal{T}] \le [\mathcal{S}]from which the desired inequality follows. Now suppose equality holds for \mathcal{S} and \mathcal{S}'. Letting a, b, c be the sides of \mathcal{T} and h_a, h_b, h_c be the corresponding altitudes, the equality case for 2[\mathcal{T}] \le [\mathcal{S}] is a = h_a, b = h_b, or c = h_c, and if any of these hold it is easy to see that equality holds in 2[\mathcal{S}'] \le [\mathcal{T}]. Thus the answer is all triangles satisfying a = h_a, b = h_b, or c = h_c.