A line segment of length 1 is given on the plane. Show that a line segment of length $\sqrt{2010}$ can be constructed using only a straightedge and a compass.
Problem
Source: Malaysia National Olympiad 2010 Sulung Category Problem 7
Tags: geometry, perpendicular bisector, geometry unsolved
05.06.2011 01:41
Let $\overline{AB}$ be a line segment of length $1$; extend $\overline{AB}$ past $B$ to a point $C$ such that $|BC| = 2010$. Let $O$ be the midpoint of $\overline{AC}$; construct a circle with center $O$ and radius $|AO| = \frac{2011}{2}$. Let $\ell$ be a line which contains point $B$ and is perpendicular to $\overline{AB}$, and let $\ell$ intersect circle $O$ at $D$. Then $AC$ is the diameter of circle $O$ and $\triangle ACD$ is a right triangle with $DB \perp AC$ so $|DB|^{2} = |AB|\cdot |BC| \implies |DB| = \sqrt{2010}$. [asy][asy] defaultpen(fontsize(10)); real r = 6; pair A=(0,0), B=(1,0), C=(r+1,0), D=(1,sqrt(r)), O=(r+1)/2; draw(arc(O,abs(A-O),0,180)); draw(B--A--D--C--B--D); label("$A$",A,(-1,-1));label("$B$",B,(0,-1));label("$C$",C,(1,-1));label("$O$",O,(0,-1));label("$D$",D,(-1,1)); dot(A^^B^^C^^D^^O); [/asy][/asy](figure not to scale)
05.06.2011 09:41
minsoens wrote: so $|DB|^{2} = |AB|\cdot |BC| $. Why? What theorem is that?
05.06.2011 10:06
If you do not know the name of the theorem, you may see that $\triangle ADB \sim \triangle ACD$ ,and get that, in a right-angled triangle the square of the altitude equals the product of the segments in which the hypotenuse is divided by this altitude. Best regards, sunken rock
06.06.2012 23:57
More generally you can construct the length $\sqrt{N} \forall N \in Z^+$ given a line segment of length $1$. Just construct a right-angled triangle of base and height $1$ so hypotenuse $\sqrt{2}$ then from this construct a right-angled triangle of sides $1,\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3}$ and then repeat the process of constructing the length $\sqrt{n+1}$ form the lengths $1$ and $\sqrt{n}$. The key thing in the construction is being able to construct a line perpendicular to a given line (say $AB$) at a given point (say $B$). This is done by drawing the ray $AB$ and a circle centre $B$ through $A$, this will meet the ray again at $C$ then just consruct the perpendicular bisector of $AC$ which is a line perpendicular to $AC$ (so to $AB$) and intersects with it at the midpoint of $AC$ (which is $B$).