# Math Help - not very hard and not easy, nice geometry

1. ## not very hard and not easy, nice geometry

An angle is given (<180 degree) with a vertex X and a point P placed inside this angle. Points A and B lie on different arms of this angle, and XA=XB and the sum PA+PB is the smallest. I ask: when this sum is the smallest? Maybe the angles APX and BPX are equal??

It is not so easy, that's why i placed it here. Can anybody help me?

2. I assume that $A,B$ are fixed points such that $XA=XB$ and $P$ is a variable point such that $PA+PB$ is smallest.
Then $P\in[AB]$ and in this case $PA+PB=AB$
If $P\not\in[AB]$, then $PA+PB>AB$.
$P$ can be anywhere on the segment $AB$, so is not necessary that $\widehat{APX}=\widehat{BPX}$
Also, the condition $XA=XB$ is not necessary.

3. Originally Posted by red_dog
I assume that $A,B$ are fixed points such that $XA=XB$ and $P$ is a variable point such that $PA+PB$ is smallest.
No, you cannot do that. Firstly we place poin P inside the angle and than we must construct such points A and B. The question is formed properly

4. Originally Posted by Ununuquantium
An angle is given (<180 degree) with a vertex X and a point P placed inside this angle. Points A and B lie on different arms of this angle, and XA=XB and the sum PA+PB is the smallest. I ask: when this sum is the smallest? Maybe the angles APX and BPX are equal??

It is not so easy, that's why i placed it here. Can anybody help me?
If (PA + PB) is the smallest, then (PA + PB) must be a straight line. The shortest distance between two points, A and B here, is a straight line.

That means P is anywhere along the line AB.

That means then that angles APX and BPX are supplementary----their sum is 180 degrees.

Therefore, (PA + PB) is smallest when angles APX and BPX are supplementary. ---------answer.