Problem

Source: 2011 MMO Problem #3

Tags: geometry, 3D geometry, tetrahedron, frustum, sphere, trigonometry, integration



A regular tetrahedron of height $h$ has a tetrahedron of height $xh$ cut off by a plane parallel to the base. When the remaining frustrum is placed on one of its slant faces on a horizontal plane, it is just on the point of falling over. (In other words, when the remaining frustrum is placed on one of its slant faces on a horizontal plane, the projection of the center of gravity G of the frustrum is a point of the minor base of this slant face.) Show that $x$ is a root of the equation $x^3 + x^2 + x = 2$.