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Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Silk Road Mathematics Competition

In triangle ABCABC the angle bisectors of AA and CC intersect the sides BCBC and ABAB at the points A1A_1 and C1C_1, respectively, and the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC at the points A2A_2 and C2C_2, respectively. Let KK be the point of intersection of A1C2A_1C_2 and C1A2C_1A_2, and II be the incenter of triangle ABCABC. Prove that KIKI passes through the midpoint of ACAC.

Solution

Let's define notations of the points and angles as in the figure. Then
C2AB=C2CB=C2CA=C2A2A=γ, \angle C_2AB = \angle C_2CB = \angle C_2CA = \angle C_2A_2A = \gamma,
A2CB=A2AB=A2AC=A2C2C=α \angle A_2CB = \angle A_2AB = \angle A_2AC = \angle A_2C_2C = \alpha
and
C2AC=A2CA=ABC=2β. \angle C_2AC = \angle A_2CA = \angle ABC = 2\beta.

By the law of sines in ΔC2AC1\Delta C_2AC_1 and ΔC2AI\Delta C_2AI we easily obtain:
C2C1C1I=sinγsinαsinC2IAsinAC2I=sinγsinαsin(α+γ)sin2β. \frac{C_2C_1}{C_1I} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle C_2IA}{\sin \angle AC_2I} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \cdot \frac{\sin (\alpha + \gamma)}{\sin 2\beta}.
Similarly, in ΔIA2C\Delta IA_2C we get:
IA1A1A2=sinγsinαsinIA2CsinA2IC=sinγsinαsin2βsin(α+γ). \frac{IA_1}{A_1A_2} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle IA_2C}{\sin \angle A_2IC} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \cdot \frac{\sin 2\beta}{\sin (\alpha + \gamma)}.
Then
(1)C2C1C1IIA1A1A2=(sinγsinα)2 (1) \qquad \frac{C_2C_1}{C_1I} \cdot \frac{IA_1}{A_1A_2} = \left( \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \right)^2
By Ceva's theorem in ΔC2A2I\Delta C_2A_2I we have
(2)C2NNA2=C2C1C1IIA1A1A2=(sinγsinα)2 (2) \qquad \frac{C_2N}{NA_2} = \frac{C_2C_1}{C_1I} \cdot \frac{IA_1}{A_1A_2} = \left( \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \right)^2
In ΔC2IN\Delta C_2IN and ΔA2IN\Delta A_2IN, using (2) we obtain
(3)C2INNIA2=C2NsinαN2Asinγ=(sinγsinα)2sinαsinγ=sinγsinα (3) \qquad \frac{C_2IN}{NIA_2} = \frac{C_2N \sin \alpha}{N_2A \sin \gamma} = \left( \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha} \right)^2 \cdot \frac{\sin \alpha}{\sin \gamma} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha}
In ΔAIM\Delta AIM and ΔCIM\Delta CIM, using (3) we get
AM=MIsinαsinAIM=MIsinαsinNIA2=MIsinγsinC2IN=MIsinγsinMIC=MC AM = \frac{MI \sin \alpha}{\sin \angle AIM} = \frac{MI \sin \alpha}{\sin \angle NIA_2} = \frac{MI \sin \gamma}{\sin \angle C_2IN} = \frac{MI \sin \gamma}{\sin \angle MIC} = MC

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.