Maths Olympiad Prep

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Vijetnam, 2007

Geometry Difficulty 6.9 National Olympiad Prove it Vietnam

Let △ABC\triangle ABC be a triangle with two fixed vertices B,CB, C and the vertex AA is variable. Let HH and GG be the orthocenter and the centroid of the triangle ABCABC respectively. Find the locus of AA such that the midpoint KK of the segment HGHG moves on the line BCBC.

Solution

Choose orthogonal Cartesian coordinate system OxyOxy where OO is the midpoint of the segment BCBC and OyOy is the line BCBC. Denote by 2a>02a > 0 the length of the segment BCBC. The coordinates of the vertices BB and CC are B(−a,0)B(-a, 0) and C(a,0)C(a, 0). Suppose that AA has the coordinates A(x0,y0)A(x_0, y_0) (y0≠0y_0 \neq 0), then the coordinates of the orthocenter HH satisfy the following equations
{xH=x0(xH+a)(a−x0)−y0yH=0 \begin{cases} x_H = x_0 \\ (x_H + a)(a - x_0) - y_0 y_H = 0 \end{cases}
hence H(x0,a2−x02y0)H\left(x_0, \frac{a^2 - x_0^2}{y_0}\right). The centroid GG has the coordinates (x03,y03)\left(\frac{x_0}{3}, \frac{y_0}{3}\right). The midpoint KK of HGHG has the coordinates (2x03,3a2−3x02+y026y0)\left(\frac{2x_0}{3}, \frac{3a^2 - 3x_0^2 + y_0^2}{6y_0}\right). The point KK belongs to the line BCBC if and only if
3a2−3x02+y02=0  ⟺  x02a2−y023a2=1(y0≠0). 3a^2 - 3x_0^2 + y_0^2 = 0 \iff \frac{x_0^2}{a^2} - \frac{y_0^2}{3a^2} = 1 \quad (y_0 \neq 0).
Thus, the locus of AA is the hyperbola x02a2−y023a2=1\frac{x_0^2}{a^2} - \frac{y_0^2}{3a^2} = 1 except the two points BB and CC.

Figure 1

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