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Geometry Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it IMO

The points PP and QQ are chosen on the side BCB C of an acute-angled triangle ABCA B C so that PAB=ACB\angle P A B = \angle A C B and QAC=CBA\angle Q A C = \angle C B A. The points MM and NN are taken on the rays APA P and AQA Q, respectively, so that AP=PMA P = P M and AQ=QNA Q = Q N. Prove that the lines BMB M and CNC N intersect on the circumcircle of the triangle ABCA B C.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Denote by SS the intersection point of the lines BMB M and CNC N. Let moreover β=QAC=CBA\beta = \angle Q A C = \angle C B A and γ=PAB=ACB\gamma = \angle P A B = \angle A C B. From these equalities it follows that the triangles ABPA B P and CAQC A Q are similar (see Figure 1). Therefore we obtain
BPPM=BPPA=AQQC=NQQC. \frac{B P}{P M} = \frac{B P}{P A} = \frac{A Q}{Q C} = \frac{N Q}{Q C}.
Moreover,
BPM=β+γ=CQN. \angle B P M = \beta + \gamma = \angle C Q N.
Hence the triangles BPMB P M and NQCN Q C are similar. This gives BMP=NCQ\angle B M P = \angle N C Q, so the triangles BPMB P M and BSCB S C are also similar. Thus we get
CSB=BPM=β+γ=180BAC, \angle C S B = \angle B P M = \beta + \gamma = 180^\circ - \angle B A C,
which completes the solution.

Figure 1
Figure 1

Solution 2

As in the previous solution, denote by SS the intersection point of the lines BMB M and NCN C. Let moreover the circumcircle of the triangle ABCA B C intersect the lines APA P and AQA Q again at KK and LL, respectively (see Figure 2).

Note that LBC=LAC=CBA\angle L B C = \angle L A C = \angle C B A and similarly KCB=KAB=BCA\angle K C B = \angle K A B = \angle B C A. It implies that the lines BLB L and CKC K meet at a point XX, being symmetric to the point AA with respect to the line BCB C. Since AP=PMA P = P M and AQ=QNA Q = Q N, it follows that XX lies on the line MNM N. Therefore, using Pascal's theorem for the hexagon ALBSCKA L B S C K, we infer that SS lies on the circumcircle of the triangle ABCA B C, which finishes the proof.

Figure 2
Figure 2

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