Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2010

Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

The incircle of a triangle A0B0C0A_0B_0C_0 touches the sides B0C0B_0C_0, C0A0C_0A_0, A0B0A_0B_0 at the points AA, BB, CC, respectively, and the incircle of the triangle ABCABC with incenter II touches the sides BCBC, CACA, ABAB at the points A1A_1, B1B_1, C1C_1, respectively. Let σ(ABC)\sigma(ABC) and σ(A1B1C)\sigma(A_1B_1C) be the areas of the triangles ABCABC and A1B1CA_1B_1C respectively. Show that if σ(ABC)=2σ(A1B1C)\sigma(ABC) = 2\sigma(A_1B_1C), then the lines AA0AA_0, BB0BB_0, IC1IC_1 pass through a common point.

Solution

Let BC=aBC = a, CA=bCA = b, AB=cAB = c and 2u=a+b+c2u = a+b+c. Then CA1=CB1=ucCA_1 = CB_1 = u-c, AC1=uaAC_1 = u-a, BC1=ubBC_1 = u-b.
We have σ(ABC)=12absinC\sigma(ABC) = \frac{1}{2}ab \sin \angle C and
σ(A1B1C)=12(uc)(uc)sinC=18(a+bc)2sinC. \sigma(A_1B_1C) = \frac{1}{2}(u-c)(u-c) \sin \angle C = \frac{1}{8}(a+b-c)^2 \sin \angle C.
Therefore σ(ABC)=2σ(A1B1C)\sigma(ABC) = 2\sigma(A_1B_1C), implies (a+bc)2=2ab(a+b-c)^2 = 2ab.
Let AA0BC=A2AA_0 \cap BC = A_2 and BB0AC=B2BB_0 \cap AC = B_2. The Law of sines in the triangles ABA0ABA_0 and ACA0ACA_0 gives
AA0BA0=sin(A+B)sin(BAA0),AA0CA0=sin(A+C)sin(CAA0). \frac{AA_0}{BA_0} = \frac{\sin(\angle A + \angle B)}{\sin(\angle BAA_0)}, \quad \frac{AA_0}{CA_0} = \frac{\sin(\angle A + \angle C)}{\sin(\angle CAA_0)}.
Hence
sin(BAA0)sin(CAA0)=cb \frac{\sin(\angle BAA_0)}{\sin(\angle CAA_0)} = \frac{c}{b}
and
BA2CA2=ABsin(BAA0)ACsin(CAA0)=c2b2. \frac{BA_2}{CA_2} = \frac{AB \sin(\angle BAA_0)}{AC \sin(\angle CAA_0)} = \frac{c^2}{b^2}.
In particular,
BA2=ac2b2+c2,CB2AB2=a2c2. BA_2 = \frac{ac^2}{b^2 + c^2}, \quad \frac{CB_2}{AB_2} = \frac{a^2}{c^2}.

Let C1IBC=DC_1I \cap BC = D. Then
BD=ubcosB BD = \frac{u-b}{\cos \angle B'}
A2D=BDBA2=ubcosBac2b2+c2 A_2D = BD - BA_2 = \frac{u-b}{\cos \angle B} - \frac{ac^2}{b^2+c^2}
Let AA0BB0=EAA_0 \cap BB_0 = E and AA0C1I=FAA_0 \cap C_1I = F. We want to show that E=FE = F. It suffices to show that
EA2AE=FA2AF \frac{EA_2}{AE} = \frac{FA_2}{AF}
By Menelaus' theorem we have
FA2AF=DA2BDBC1AC1 \frac{FA_2}{AF} = \frac{DA_2}{BD} \cdot \frac{BC_1}{AC_1}
and
A2EAE=BA2BCCB2B2A \frac{A_2E}{AE} = \frac{BA_2}{BC} \cdot \frac{CB_2}{B_2A}
Therefore
EA2AE=FA2AF \frac{EA_2}{AE} = \frac{FA_2}{AF}
if and only if
BA2BCCB2AB2=DA2BDBC1AC1 \frac{BA_2}{BC} \cdot \frac{CB_2}{AB_2} = \frac{DA_2}{BD} \cdot \frac{BC_1}{AC_1}
Now substituting these lengths and using the Law of cosines 2accosB=a2+c2b22ac \cos \angle B = a^2 + c^2 - b^2, we find that
EA2AE=FA2AF \frac{EA_2}{AE} = \frac{FA_2}{AF}
if and only if
a2b2+c2=a+cbb+ca(a2+c2b2)c(b2+c2)(b+ca) \frac{a^2}{b^2+c^2} = \frac{a+c-b}{b+c-a} - \frac{(a^2+c^2-b^2)c}{(b^2+c^2)(b+c-a)}
This equality is equivalent to (ab)((a+bc)22ab)=0(a-b)((a+b-c)^2-2ab) = 0, and we are done. \square

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