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Geometry Difficulty 6.7 National Olympiad Prove it Romania

Let ABCABC be a triangle, let OO and γ\gamma be its circumcenter and circumcircle, respectively, and let PP and QQ be distinct points interior to γ\gamma such that O,PO, P and QQ are not collinear. Reflect OO in the midpoint of the segment PQPQ to obtain RR, then reflect RR in the center of the nine-point circle of the triangle ABCABC to obtain SS. The circle through PP and QQ, and orthogonal to γ\gamma, crosses the rays OPOP and OQOQ, emanating from OO, again at PP' and QQ', respectively. Let the lines PQPQ' and QPQP' cross at TT. Prove that, if PP and QQ are isogonally conjugate with respect to the triangle ABCABC, then so are SS and TT.

E. D. Camier, England

The points UU and VV are isogonally conjugate with respect to the triangle ABCABC if (AB,AU)=(AV,AC)\angle(AB, AU) = \angle(AV, AC) and (BC,BU)=(BV,BA)\angle(BC, BU) = \angle(BV, BA), in which case (CA,CU)=(CV,CB)\angle(CA, CU) = \angle(CV, CB) as well.

Solution

Figure 1

Solution:

Use complex coordinates and the standard convention where OO is the origin of the complex plane, and γ\gamma is the unit circle; as usual, a lower case Roman letter denotes the complex coordinate of the point denoted by the corresponding upper case Roman letter.

Begin by expressing tt in terms of p,qp, q and their complex conjugates. Since ppˉ=1p'\bar{p} = 1 and qqˉ=1q'\bar{q} = 1, the equations of the lines PQPQ' and QPQP' are
qˉ(1pˉq)zq(1pqˉ)zˉ+pˉqpqˉ=0andpˉ(1qˉp)zp(1qpˉ)zˉ+qˉpqpˉ=0, \bar{q}(1 - \bar{p}q)z - q(1 - p\bar{q})\bar{z} + \bar{p}q - p\bar{q} = 0 \quad \text{and} \quad \bar{p}(1 - \bar{q}p)z - p(1 - q\bar{p})\bar{z} + \bar{q}p - q\bar{p} = 0,
so the two cross at
t=p+qpq(pˉ+qˉ)(1ppˉqqˉ)2. t = \frac{p + q - pq(\bar{p} + \bar{q})}{(1 - p\bar{p}q\bar{q})^2}.

Next, we turn to isogonal conjugates in the triangle ABCABC. Two points UU and VV in the plane ABCABC, not lying on γ\gamma, are isogonally conjugate in the triangle ABCABC if and only if u+v+abcuˉvˉ=a+b+cu + v + abc\bar{u}\bar{v} = a + b + c; for completeness, a proof of this fact is provided at the end of the solution. In particular, p+q+abcpˉqˉ=a+b+cp + q + abc\bar{p}\bar{q} = a + b + c.

Now, r=p+qr = p + q, and the center of the nine-point circle has complex coordinate (a+b+c)/2(a+b+c)/2, so s=a+b+cpq=abcpˉqˉs = a+b+c-p-q = abc\bar{p}\bar{q}; since ssˉ=ppˉqqˉ<1s\bar{s} = p\bar{p}q\bar{q} < 1, the point SS does not lie on γ\gamma.

Let UU be the isogonal conjugate of SS in the triangle ABCABC to write s+u+abcsˉuˉ=a+b+cs+u+abc\bar{s}\bar{u} = a+b+c, and refer to the above expressions of ss to get u+pquˉ=p+qu+pq\bar{u} = p+q. Elimination of uˉ\bar{u} from the latter and its complex conjugate yields
u=p+qpq(pˉ+qˉ)1ppˉqqˉ=t, u = \frac{p+q-pq(\bar{p}+\bar{q})}{1-p\bar{p}q\bar{q}} = t,
and the conclusion follows.

For completeness, we show that two points UU and VV in the plane ABCABC, not lying on γ\gamma, are isogonally conjugate in the triangle ABCABC if and only if u+v+abcuˉvˉ=a+b+cu + v + abc\bar{u}\bar{v} = a + b + c.

If UU and VV are isogonally conjugate in the triangle ABCABC, isogonality at AA implies that the product of (ua)/(ba)(u-a)/(b-a) and (va)/(ca)(v-a)/(c-a) is real, so it is equal to its complex conjugate. Alternatively, but equivalently, (ua)(va)=a2bc(uˉaˉ)(vˉaˉ)(u-a)(v-a) = a^2bc(\bar{u} - \bar{a})(\bar{v} - \bar{a}), so uva(u+v)+a2=a2bcuˉvˉabc(uˉ+vˉ)+bcuv - a(u+v) + a^2 = a^2bc\bar{u}\bar{v} - abc(\bar{u} + \bar{v}) + bc. Similarly, isogonality at BB yields uvb(u+v)+b2=ab2cuˉvˉabc(uˉ+vˉ)+cauv - b(u+v) + b^2 = ab^2c\bar{u}\bar{v} - abc(\bar{u} + \bar{v}) + ca. Subtract the two, factor aba-b out and rearrange terms to get the desired relation.

Conversely, let WW be the isogonal conjugate of UU in the triangle ABCABC to write u+w+abcuˉwˉ=a+b+cu+w+abc\bar{u}\bar{w} = a+b+c. Elimination of uu from the latter and u+v+abcuˉvˉ=a+b+cu+v+abc\bar{u}\bar{v} = a+b+c yields vw+abcuˉ(vˉwˉ)=0v - w + abc\bar{u}(\bar{v} - \bar{w}) = 0, and elimination of vˉwˉ\bar{v} - \bar{w} from the latter and its complex conjugate yields (1uuˉ)(vw)=0(1 - u\bar{u})(v - w) = 0. Since UU does not lie on γ\gamma, the first factor is different from zero, so v=wv = w. This establishes the converse and completes the proof.

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