Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 7.8 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Let be a triangle ABC\triangle ABC with m(ABC)=75m(\angle ABC) = 75^\circ and m(ACB)=45m(\angle ACB) = 45^\circ. The angle bisector of CAB\angle CAB intersects CBCB at the point DD. We consider the point E(AB)E \in (AB), such that DE=DCDE = DC. Let PP be the intersection of the lines ADAD and CECE. Prove that PP is the midpoint of the segment ADAD.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let PP' be the midpoint of the segment ADAD. We will prove that P=PP' = P. Let FACF \in AC such that DFACDF \perp AC. The triangle CDFCDF is isosceles with FD=FCFD = FC and the triangle DPFDP'F is equilateral as m(ADF)=60m(\angle ADF) = 60^\circ. Thus, the triangle FCPFCP' is isosceles (FP=FCFP' = FC) and m(FCP)=m(FPC)=15m(\angle FCP') = m(\angle FP'C) = 15^\circ.

Figure 1
Figure 2: G2

We prove now that m(FCE)=15m(\angle FCE) = 15^\circ.
Let MM be the point on [AB[AB such that the triangle ACMACM is equilateral. As ADCADM(SAS)DC=DM(=DE)\triangle ADC \equiv \triangle ADM(SAS) \Rightarrow DC = DM(= DE) and m(AMD)=m(ACD)=45m(\angle AMD) = m(\angle ACD) = 45^\circ. It follows that the triangle DME\triangle DME is isosceles with m(DME)=m(DEM)=45m(\angle DME) = m(\angle DEM) = 45^\circ. In the triangle BDE\triangle BDE we have m(BDE)=60m(\angle BDE) = 60^\circ and thus m(CDE)=120m(\angle CDE) = 120^\circ. As the triangle DCEDCE is isoscel with m(DCE)=m(DEC)=30m(\angle DCE) = m(\angle DEC) = 30^\circ. Finally m(ACE)=m(ACB)m(BCE)=4530=15m(\angle ACE) = m(\angle ACB) - m(\angle BCE) = 45^\circ - 30^\circ = 15^\circ.
Thus m(FCP)=15=m(FCE)m(\angle FCP') = 15^\circ = m(\angle FCE), and therefore PCEP' \in CE and P=PP' = P, which means that PP is the midpoint of the segment ADAD.

Solution 2

In the way as above we prove that m(BCE)=15m(\angle BCE) = 15^\circ.
So the quadrilateral ACDEACDE is inscribed in a circle. Now, applying the sine rules to DPE\triangle DPE and APE\triangle APE we get
DPsin30=PEsin15,APsin105=PEsin30DPsin30sin105AP=PEsin15sin30PE,DPAP=sin30sin105sin15=14sin105sin15=12(cos90cos120)=1212=1. \begin{aligned} \frac{DP}{\sin 30^\circ} &= \frac{PE}{\sin 15^\circ}, & \frac{AP}{\sin 105^\circ} &= \frac{PE}{\sin 30^\circ} & \Rightarrow \frac{DP}{\sin 30^\circ} \cdot \frac{\sin 105^\circ}{AP} &= \frac{PE}{\sin 15^\circ} \cdot \frac{\sin 30^\circ}{PE}, \\ \frac{DP}{AP} &= \frac{\sin 30^\circ}{\sin 105^\circ \cdot \sin 15^\circ} &= \frac{1}{4 \cdot \sin 105^\circ \cdot \sin 15^\circ} &= \frac{1}{2 \cdot (\cos 90^\circ - \cos 120^\circ)} = \frac{1}{2 \cdot \frac{1}{2}} = 1. \end{aligned}
Thus, QP=APQP = AP. \square

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