In triangle ABC points P,Q lie on the exterior angle bisector of vertex A such that P,B lie on the same side of line AC and Q is on the other side. Perpendicular line from P to AB cuts the perpendicular line from Q to AC at X. Points P′,Q′ are respectively chosen on PB,QC such that QX=Q′X and PX=P′X. Let T be the midpoint of arc BC (the one that doesn't contain A) of the circumcircle of triangle ABC. Prove that P′,Q′,T are collinear if and only if PBA+QCA=90∘
Solution
First we start with two lemmas.
Lemma. Let ABCD be a quadrilateral and P be a point on segment AB. Let X,Y,Z be points on BC,CD,AD respectively such that PX∥AC,XY∥BD,YZ∥AC. Then we have PZ∥BD.
Proof. From PX∥AC,XY∥BD,YZ∥AC we conclude that ABBP=BCBXBCBX=DCDYDCDY=ADDZ⎭⎬⎫⟹ABBP=ADDZ⟹PZ∥BD
Lemma. Let PQRS be a cyclic quadrilateral. H is the intersection point of PQ,RS. Let T′ be an arbitrary point on PQ. M,N are points on PR,QS respectively such that T′M∥QR,T′N∥PS. T is a point such that T′MT=T′NT=90∘. Now that if T′ varies on line PQ then T varies on a line passing H and if this line is RS then PS⊥QR. Proof. Suppose that there are three points T1′,T2′,T3′ on PQ. Obviously we have N1N3N1N2=T1′T3′T1′T2′=M1M3M1M2 Let A1,A2,A3 be the intersection points of (T1M1,T3N3),(T1M1,T2N2),(T2M2,T3N3) respectively. Because of intercept theorem we have A1T1A1A2=A1T3A1A3,T2A2∥A1T3,T2A3∥A1T1 So we conclude that T2 lies on T1T3. We proved that T varies on a line. Now we prove that this line passes through H. Suppose that SP,QR are not perpendicular. Then there exist F,X′,Y. Set T1′=Q,T2′=P. So we have T1=X′,T2=Y. Let E,Z be the intersection points of (PS,QR),(RX′,SY) respectively. Obviously we have EF⊥PQ,ZES=90∘−ERS. It means that ZES=90∘−EPQ⟹ZE⊥PQ So E,F,Z are collinear. From desargue theorem in triangles SZR,PFQ we obtain that PQ,RS,X′Y are concurrent. So X′Y passes from the intersection point of PQ,RS. Now suppose that PQ⊥RS. Then if we set T1′=P,T2′=Q then we have T1=S,T2=R which implies that RS passes through H.
Case 1: Suppose that PBA+QCA=90∘. Let M,N,T′ be the second intersection points of BP,CQ,AP with the circumcircle of triangle ABC. PQ is the external angle bisector of A^. Thus we have QAC=PAB⟹PX=QX,PXQ=90∘−2A^⟹APX=AQX=2A^=180∘−A^ We know that PX=RX,QX=SX so we infer that PX=QX=RX=SX⟹PQRS is cyclic T′ACN is a cyclic quadrilateral. So QNT′=90∘−2A^. PQRS is cyclic, PXQ⟹QNT′=QSP⟹NT′∥PS=180∘−A^⟹QSP=90∘−2A^ By the same way we can see that MT∥PS. PBA+PCA⟹XQC+XPB⟹RXS⟹RQS=RPS=90∘=90∘⟹PXB+QXC=180∘=A^=2A^=TNC=TMB⟹TN∥QR,TM∥PS
By the first lemma we conclude that the intersection point of MT, NT lies on RS. So R, S, T are collinear.
Case 2: Suppose that R, S, T are collinear. Likewise the first case we can see that PQRS is cyclic with circumcenter X and T′M∥QR, T′N∥PS. In circumcircle of triangle ABC, TT′ is diameter. So we have TMT′=TNT′=90∘ By applying the second lemma in cyclic quadrilateral PQRS we conclude that T lies on a line passing from the intersection point of PQ,RS. We know that T lies on RS. So we have PS⊥QR or T is the intersection point of PQ,RS. If T lies on PQ,RS we obtain that T,T′,A are collinear which is a contradiction. If PS⊥QR it means that PXB+QXC=180∘⟹XQC+XPB=90∘⟹PBA+QCA=90∘
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