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Geometry Difficulty 6.1 National olympiad Prove it Argentina

In the acute-angled triangle ABPABP (AB>BPAB > BP) the altitudes are BHBH, PQPQ and ASAS. The extension of QSQS intersects line APAP at CC. The extension of HSHS intersects BCBC at LL. If HS=SLHS = SL and HLHL is perpendicular to BCBC, compute SLSC\frac{SL}{SC}.

Solution

Since SH=SLSH = SL, we compute the ratio SHSC\frac{SH}{SC}. Note that AB>BPAB > BP implies that PP is between AA and CC. Denote BAP=α\angle BAP = \alpha and observe that PSC=PSH=BSL=BSQ=α\angle PSC = \angle PSH = \angle BSL = \angle BSQ = \alpha. Indeed we have HSB=QSP=180α\angle HSB = \angle QSP = 180^\circ - \alpha from the cyclic quadrilaterals AHSBAHSB and APSQAPSQ. On the other hand each of the four angles in the above equality completes HSB\angle HSB or QSP\angle QSP to 180180^\circ. In particular PSC=PSH\angle PSC = \angle PSH means that SPSP is the internal bisector of CSH\angle CSH. Since ASSPAS \perp SP, it follows that SASA is the external bisector of CSH\angle CSH. Hence SHSC=AHAC\frac{SH}{SC} = \frac{AH}{AC} by the external angle theorem.

To find AHAC\frac{AH}{AC} consider the midpoint MM of HCHC. The right triangles BHLBHL and BCHBCH are similar as they share an acute angle at vertex BB. Since BSBS and BMBM are respective medians, BMH=BSL\angle BMH = \angle BSL. We proved above that BSL=α\angle BSL = \alpha, hence BMH=α=BAH\angle BMH = \alpha = \angle BAH. Therefore triangle ABMABM is isosceles with base AMAM. Its altitude BHBH is also a median, so AH=HMAH = HM. In addition HM=MCHM = MC, and we obtain AH=13ACAH = \frac{1}{3}AC. In conclusion SLSC=SHSC=AHAC=13\frac{SL}{SC} = \frac{SH}{SC} = \frac{AH}{AC} = \frac{1}{3}.

Figure 1

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