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Geometry Difficulty 8.0 Shortlist Prove it Hong Kong

The incircle (with centre OO) of an isosceles triangle ABCABC with AB=ACAB = AC meets BCBC, CACA, ABAB at KK, LL, MM respectively. Let NN be the intersection of the lines OLOL and KMKM, and let QQ be the intersection of the lines BNBN and CACA. Let PP be the foot of the perpendicular from AA to BQBQ. Suppose BP=AP+2PQBP = AP + 2PQ. Determine the possible value(s) of ABBC\frac{AB}{BC}.

Solution

ABBC\frac{AB}{BC} can be 22\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} or 102\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}.
It is well-known that QQ is the midpoint of ACAC. We first consider the case when PP lies inside ABC\triangle ABC. Let XX be the projection of CC on BQBQ, and let YY be the point on the line BQBQ such that XY=XCXY = XC, and XX lies between BB and YY.
Note that QAPQCX\triangle QAP \cong \triangle QCX, and hence PQ=XQPQ = XQ. By the given condition, we have
BP=AP+2PQ=CX+PX=XY+PX=PY. BP = AP + 2PQ = CX + PX = XY + PX = PY.
Together with APBYAP \perp BY, we know that ABY\triangle ABY is an isosceles triangle, with AY=AB=ACAY = AB = AC. Thus, AXAX is the perpendicular bisector of CYCY. This implies
ACX=AYX=YBA. \angle ACX = \angle AYX = \angle YBA.
Therefore, AA, BB, CC, XX are concyclic, and BAC=BXC=90\angle BAC = \angle BXC = 90^\circ. Conversely, when BAC=90\angle BAC = 90^\circ, one can work backward and show that BP=AP+2PQBP = AP + 2PQ. (In that proof, one should define YY as the point on the line BQBQ such that AB=AYAB = AY, and then show that XC=XYXC = XY.) Thus, this gives one possibility, where
ABBC=12. \frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}.
Figure 1

Next we consider the case when PP lies outside ABC\triangle ABC. Similarly, let XX be the projection of CC on BQBQ. As above, we have QAPQCX\triangle QAP \cong \triangle QCX, and hence QX=QPQX = QP. By the given condition, we have
BP=AP+2PQ=CX+PX. BP = AP + 2PQ = CX + PX.
This implies BX=CXBX = CX. Therefore, BC=2CX=2APBC = \sqrt{2}CX = \sqrt{2}AP. Let PQ=QX=xPQ = QX = x and CX=AP=yCX = AP = y. Noting that PBA=XCQ\angle PBA = \angle XCQ, we have PABXQC\triangle PAB \sim \triangle XQC.
It follows that PAXQ=PBXC\frac{PA}{XQ} = \frac{PB}{XC}. This implies
yx=2x+yy. \frac{y}{x} = \frac{2x + y}{y}.

This can be rewritten as (2xy)(x+y)=0(2x - y)(x + y) = 0. Thus, we find that y=2xy = 2x, and hence
ABBC=PA2+PB2BC=y2+(2x+y)22y=102. \frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{\sqrt{PA^2 + PB^2}}{BC} = \frac{\sqrt{y^2 + (2x+y)^2}}{\sqrt{2}y} = \frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}.
When ABBC=102\frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}, it is not hard to find that BQAB=325\frac{BQ}{AB} = \frac{3}{2\sqrt{5}}, and cosCBQ=12\cos \angle CBQ = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}.
Then one can deduce BX=CXBX = CX, and the condition holds.
Figure 2

To conclude, ABBC\frac{AB}{BC} can be 22\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} or 102\frac{\sqrt{10}}{2}.

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