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Geometry Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Thailand

Let HH be the orthocenter of an acute triangle ABCABC. The circumcircle of BCH\triangle BCH intersects ABAB and ACAC again at points A1A_1 and A2A_2 respectively. Define points B1,B2,C1B_1, B_2, C_1 and C2C_2 analogously. Prove that the circumcenter of the triangle formed by lines A1A2,B1B2A_1A_2, B_1B_2, and C1C2C_1C_2 is on the Euler line with respect to ABC\triangle ABC.

Solution

Let D,ED, E, and FF be the feet of the altitudes from A,BA, B, and CC, respectively with respect to ABC\triangle ABC. Let B1B2B_1B_2 intersect C1C2C_1C_2 at KK, C1C2C_1C_2 intersects A1A2A_1A_2 at LL, and A1A2A_1A_2 intersects B1B2B_1B_2 at MM. Let OO be the circumcenter of ABC\triangle ABC.
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We have
(KL,DE)=(KL,BC)+(BC,DE)=(C1C2,C2B)+(BD,DE)=(C1A,AB)+(BA,AE)=(CA,AB)+(AB,CA)=0 \begin{align*} \angle(KL, DE) &= \angle(KL, BC) + \angle(BC, DE) \\ &= \angle(C_1C_2, C_2B) + \angle(BD, DE) \\ &= \angle(C_1A, AB) + \angle(BA, AE) \\ &= \angle(CA, AB) + \angle(AB, CA) \\ &= 0 \end{align*}
Thus, KLDEKL \parallel DE, so LMEFLM \parallel EF and MKFDMK \parallel FD analogously.
Therefore, there is a homothety sending DEF\triangle DEF to KLM\triangle KLM. Call its center XX.
Consider
(FD,DH)=(FB,BH)=(FB,BE)=(FC,CE)=(HC,CE)=(HD,DE) \begin{align*} \angle(FD, DH) &= \angle(FB, BH) \\ &= \angle(FB, BE) \\ &= \angle(FC, CE) \\ &= \angle(HC, CE) \\ &= \angle(HD, DE) \end{align*}
Thus, HDHD is an angle bisector of FDE\angle FDE. Similarly, we can show that HEHE and HFHF are angle bisectors of DEF\angle DEF and EFD\angle EFD, respectively. Hence, HH is either the incenter or an excenter of DEF\triangle DEF. Since ABC\triangle ABC is acute, we observe that HH is

inside DEF\triangle DEF, and thus HH must be the incenter of DEF\triangle DEF. We have
(HC2,C2C)=(HC2,C2B)=(HA,AB)=(DA,AF)=(DC,CF)=(C2C,CH) \begin{align*} \angle(HC_2, C_2C) &= \angle(HC_2, C_2B) \\ &= \angle(HA, AB) \\ &= \angle(DA, AF) \\ &= \angle(DC, CF) \\ &= \angle(C_2C, CH) \end{align*}
Thus, C2D=DC\overrightarrow{C_2D} = \overrightarrow{DC}, so B1D=DB\overrightarrow{B_1D} = \overrightarrow{DB}, A2E=EA\overrightarrow{A_2E} = \overrightarrow{EA}, C1E=EC\overrightarrow{C_1E} = \overrightarrow{EC}, B2F=FB\overrightarrow{B_2F} = \overrightarrow{FB}, and A1F=FA\overrightarrow{A_1F} = \overrightarrow{FA} analogously (where XY\overrightarrow{XY} denotes the vector XYXY).
We have
(KC2,C2B1)=(ED,DB)=(EA,AB)=(CA,AF)=(CD,DF)=(C2B1,B1K) \begin{align*} \angle(KC_2, C_2B_1) &= \angle(ED, DB) \\ &= \angle(EA, AB) \\ &= \angle(CA, AF) \\ &= \angle(CD, DF) \\ &= \angle(C_2B_1, B_1K) \end{align*}
Thus, the internal angle bisector of MKL\angle MKL is the perpendicular bisector of B1C2B_1C_2. Since B1C2B_1C_2 is the image of BCBC reflected about HDHD and the perpendicular bisector of BCBC passes through OO, the perpendicular bisector of B1C2B_1C_2 passes through the reflection of OO about HH, which we denote OO'. Similarly, the internal angle bisectors of KLM\angle KLM and LMK\angle LMK also pass through OO'. Therefore, OO' is the incenter of KLM\triangle KLM.
The incenters of DEF\triangle DEF and KLM\triangle KLM both are on \ell, the Euler line of ABC\triangle ABC, so XX lies on \ell. Since the circumcenter of DEF\triangle DEF (the nine point center of ABC\triangle ABC) lies on \ell, and XX lies on \ell, the circumcenter of KLM\triangle KLM also lies on \ell, as required.

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