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Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCABC be a triangle with B>C\angle B > \angle C. Let PP and QQ be two different points on line ACAC such that PBA=QBA=ACB\angle PBA = \angle QBA = \angle ACB and AA is located between PP and CC. Suppose that there exists an interior point DD of segment BQBQ for which PD=PBPD = PB. Let the ray ADAD intersect the circle ABCABC at RAR \neq A. Prove that QB=QRQB = QR.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Denote by ω\omega the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC, and let ACB=γ\angle ACB = \gamma. Note that the condition γ<CBA\gamma < \angle CBA implies γ<90\gamma < 90^\circ. Since PBA=γ\angle PBA = \gamma, the line PBPB is tangent to ω\omega, so PAPC=PB2=PD2PA \cdot PC = PB^2 = PD^2. By PAPD=PDPC\frac{PA}{PD} = \frac{PD}{PC} the triangles PADPAD and PDCPDC are similar, and ADP=DCP\angle ADP = \angle DCP.

Next, since ABQ=ACB\angle ABQ = \angle ACB, the triangles ABCABC and AQBAQB are also similar. Then AQB=ABC=ARC\angle AQB = \angle ABC = \angle ARC, which means that the points D,R,CD, R, C, and QQ are concyclic. Therefore DRQ=DCQ=ADP\angle DRQ = \angle DCQ = \angle ADP.

Figure 1
Figure 1

Now from ARB=ACB=γ\angle ARB = \angle ACB = \gamma and PDB=PBD=2γ\angle PDB = \angle PBD = 2\gamma we get
QBR=ADBARB=ADP+PDBARB=DRQ+γ=QRB, \angle QBR = \angle ADB - \angle ARB = \angle ADP + \angle PDB - \angle ARB = \angle DRQ + \gamma = \angle QRB,
so the triangle QRBQRB is isosceles, which yields QB=QRQB = QR.

Solution 2

Again, denote by ω\omega the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC. Denote ACB=γ\angle ACB = \gamma. Since PBA=γ\angle PBA = \gamma, the line PBPB is tangent to ω\omega.

Let EE be the second intersection point of BQBQ with ω\omega. If VV' is any point on the ray CECE beyond EE, then BEV=180BEC=180BAC=PAB\angle BEV' = 180^\circ - \angle BEC = 180^\circ - \angle BAC = \angle PAB; together with ABQ=PBA\angle ABQ = \angle PBA this shows firstly, that the rays BABA and CECE intersect at some point VV, and secondly that the triangle VEBVEB is similar to the triangle PABPAB. Thus we have BVE=BPA\angle BVE = \angle BPA. Next, AEV=BEVγ=PABABQ=AQB\angle AEV = \angle BEV - \gamma = \angle PAB - \angle ABQ = \angle AQB; so the triangles PBQPBQ and VAEVAE are also similar.

Let PHPH be an altitude in the isosceles triangle PBDPBD; then BH=HDBH = HD. Let GG be the intersection point of PHPH and ABAB. By the symmetry with respect to PHPH, we have BDG=DBG=γ=BEA\angle BDG = \angle DBG = \gamma = \angle BEA; thus DGAEDG \parallel AE and hence BGGA=BDDE\frac{BG}{GA} = \frac{BD}{DE}. Thus the points GG and DD correspond to each other in the similar triangles PABPAB and VEBVEB, so DVB=GPB=90PBQ=90VAE\angle DVB = \angle GPB = 90^\circ - \angle PBQ = 90^\circ - \angle VAE. Thus VDAEVD \perp AE.

Let TT be the common point of VDVD and AEAE, and let DSDS be an altitude in the triangle BDRBDR. The points SS and TT are the feet of corresponding altitudes in the similar triangles ADEADE and BDRBDR, so BSSR=ATTE\frac{BS}{SR} = \frac{AT}{TE}. On the other hand, the points TT and HH are feet of corresponding altitudes in the similar triangles VAEVAE and PBQPBQ, so ATTE=BHHQ\frac{AT}{TE} = \frac{BH}{HQ}. Thus BSSR=ATTE=BHHQ\frac{BS}{SR} = \frac{AT}{TE} = \frac{BH}{HQ}, and the triangles BHSBHS and BQRBQR are similar.

Finally, SHSH is a median in the right-angled triangle SBDSBD; so BH=HSBH = HS, and hence BQ=QRBQ = QR.

Figure 2
Figure 2

Solution 3

Denote by ω\omega and OO the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC and its center, respectively. From the condition PBA=BCA\angle PBA = \angle BCA we know that BPBP is tangent to ω\omega.

Let EE be the second point of intersection of ω\omega and BDBD. Due to the isosceles triangle BDPBDP, the tangent of ω\omega at EE is parallel to DPDP and consequently it intersects BPBP at some point LL. Of course, PDLEPD \parallel LE. Let MM be the midpoint of BEBE, and let HH be the midpoint of BRBR. Notice that AEB=ACB=ABQ=ABE\angle AEB = \angle ACB = \angle ABQ = \angle ABE, so AA lies on the perpendicular bisector of BEBE; thus the points L,A,ML, A, M, and OO are collinear. Let ω1\omega_1 be the circle with diameter BOBO. Let Q=HOBEQ' = HO \cap BE; since HOHO is the perpendicular bisector of BRBR, the statement of the problem is equivalent to Q=QQ' = Q.

Consider the following sequence of projections (see Fig. 3).
1. Project the line BEBE to the line LBLB through the center AA. (This maps QQ to PP.)
2. Project the line LBLB to BEBE in parallel direction with LELE. (PDP \mapsto D.)
3. Project the line BEBE to the circle ω\omega through its point AA. (DRD \mapsto R.)
4. Scale ω\omega by the ratio 12\frac{1}{2} from the point BB to the circle ω1\omega_1. (RHR \mapsto H.)
5. Project ω1\omega_1 to the line BEBE through its point OO. (HQH \mapsto Q'.)

We prove that the composition of these transforms, which maps the line BEBE to itself, is the identity. To achieve this, it suffices to show three fixed points. An obvious fixed point is BB which is fixed by all the transformations above. Another fixed point is MM, its path being MLEEMMM \mapsto L \mapsto E \mapsto E \mapsto M \mapsto M.

Figure 3
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 4

In order to show a third fixed point, draw a line parallel with LELE through AA; let that line intersect BE,LBBE, LB and ω\omega at X,YX, Y and ZAZ \neq A, respectively (see Fig. 4). We show that XX is a fixed point. The images of XX at the first three transformations are XYXZX \mapsto Y \mapsto X \mapsto Z. From XBZ=EAZ=AEL=LBA=BZX\angle XBZ = \angle EAZ = \angle AEL = \angle LBA = \angle BZX we can see that the triangle XBZXBZ is isosceles. Let UU be the midpoint of BZBZ; then the last two transformations do ZUXZ \mapsto U \mapsto X, and the point XX is fixed.

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