Took me a while and I don't think I have the easiest method, but I've got an answer for question 2.
Let angle ABC (and all angles equal to it) be α
This allows us to make some deductions:
1) angle AEB = 180°-α (supplementary to angle CED), and angle BAE = 180°-2α (sum of angles in isoceles triangle ABC), implies that angle ABE = 180°-(180°+α+180°-2α) = 3α-180° (sum of angles in triangle ABE), implies that angle CBD = α-(3α-180°) = 180°-2α (adjecent to angle ABE)
2) DE = 8-2 = 6 (isosceles triangle BCE)
3) if angle ABC = angle CDE and angle ACB = angle DCE, triangles ABC and CDE are similar
Using deduction 1, figure out the length of CD in terms of α using the cosine rule.
\(CD^2=BD^2+BC^2-2\times BD\times BC\times cos(CBD)\)
\(CD^2=2^2+8^2-2\times 2\times 8\times cos(180°-2α)\)
\(CD=\sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}\)
CD = EC (isoceles triangle CDE)
Using deduction 2, apply the cosine rule to triangle CDE to find a value for α (if you have a fear of long or ugly equations, look away now).
\(DE^2=CD^2+CE^2-2\times CD\times CE\times cos(DCE)\)
\(6^2=\sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}^2+\sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}^2-2\times \sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}\times \sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}\times cos(180°-2α)\)
\(0=100+64cos(2α)+200cos(2α)+64cos^2(2α)\)
Then solve the quadratic however you want (graph, formula, PlySmlt2)
\(cos(2α)=-0.625\)
\(α=64.341°\)
Use this value to find the length of CE and CD.
\(CD=\sqrt{68+32cos(2α)}\)
\(CD=\sqrt{68+32cos(2\times64.341°)}\)
\(CD=6.9282\)
Using deduction 3, find the length of AB with similar triangle rules.
\(\frac{DE}{BC}=\frac{EC}{AB}\)
\(\frac{6}{8}=\frac{6.9282}{AB}\)
\(AB=9.24\)
Feel free to ask if any of my thinking is unclear or I've made a mistake.