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Chinese Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 7.1 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Given an acute triangle PBCPBC, PB≠PCPB \neq PC. Let points AA, DD be on sides PBPB and PCPC, respectively. Let MM, NN be the midpoints of segments BCBC and ADAD, respectively. Lines ACAC and BDBD intersect at point OO. Draw OE⊥ABOE \perp AB at point EE and OF⊥CDOF \perp CD at point FF.

(1) Prove that if AA, BB, CC, DD are concyclic, then
EM×FN=EN×FM. EM \times FN = EN \times FM.

(2) Are the four points AA, BB, CC, DD always concyclic if EM×FN=EN×FMEM \times FN = EN \times FM? Prove your answer.

Solution

(1) Denote by QQ, RR the midpoints of OBOB, OCOC, respectively. It is easy to see that
Figure 1
EQ=12OB=RM,MQ=12OC=RF,EQ = \frac{1}{2}OB = RM, \quad MQ = \frac{1}{2}OC = RF, and
∠EQM=∠EQO+∠OQM=2∠EBO+∠OQM,\angle EQM = \angle EQO + \angle OQM = 2\angle EBO + \angle OQM,
∠MRF=∠FRO+∠ORM=2∠FCO+∠ORM.\angle MRF = \angle FRO + \angle ORM = 2\angle FCO + \angle ORM.
Because AA, BB, CC, DD are concyclic, and QQ, RR are the midpoints of OBOB, OCOC, we have
∠EBO=∠FCO,∠OQM=∠ORM. \angle EBO = \angle FCO, \quad \angle OQM = \angle ORM.
So ∠EQM=∠MRF\angle EQM = \angle MRF, which implies that △EQM≅△MRF\triangle EQM \cong \triangle MRF, and EN=FNEN = FN.
Similarly, we have EN=FNEN = FN, so EM×FN=EN×FMEM \times FN = EN \times FM holds.

(2) Suppose that OA=2aOA = 2a, OB=2bOB = 2b, OC=2cOC = 2c, OD=2dOD = 2d and
∠OAB=α,∠OBA=β,∠ODC=γ,∠OCD=θ. \angle OAB = \alpha, \quad \angle OBA = \beta, \quad \angle ODC = \gamma, \quad \angle OCD = \theta.
Then
cos⁡∠EQM=cos⁡(∠EQO+∠OQM)=cos⁡(2β+∠AOB)=−cos⁡(α−β). \begin{aligned} \cos \angle EQM &= \cos(\angle EQO + \angle OQM) \\ &= \cos(2\beta + \angle AOB) \\ &= -\cos(\alpha - \beta). \end{aligned}
So
EM2=EQ2+QM2−2EQ×QM×cos⁡∠EQM=b2+c2+2bccos⁡(α−β). EM^2 = EQ^2 + QM^2 - 2EQ \times QM \times \cos\angle EQM \\ = b^2 + c^2 + 2bc \cos(\alpha - \beta).
Making similar equations for ENEN, FNFN, FMFM, we have
EN×FM=EM×FN⇔EN2×FM2=EM2×FN2⇔(a2+d2+2adcos⁡(α−β))×(b2+c2+2bccos⁡(γ−θ))=(a2+d2+2adcos⁡(γ−θ))×(b2+c2+2bccos⁡(α−β))⇔(cos⁡(γ−θ)−cos⁡(α−β))(ab−cd)(ac−bd)=0. \begin{align*} & EN \times FM = EM \times FN \\ \Leftrightarrow & EN^2 \times FM^2 = EM^2 \times FN^2 \\ \Leftrightarrow & (a^2 + d^2 + 2ad \cos(\alpha - \beta)) \times (b^2 + c^2 + 2bc \cos(\gamma - \theta)) \\ & \qquad = (a^2 + d^2 + 2ad \cos(\gamma - \theta)) \times (b^2 + c^2 + 2bc \cos(\alpha - \beta)) \\ \Leftrightarrow & (\cos(\gamma - \theta) - \cos(\alpha - \beta))(ab - cd)(ac - bd) = 0. \end{align*}
Figure 2
Because α+β=γ+θ\alpha + \beta = \gamma + \theta, cos⁡(γ−θ)−cos⁡(α−β)=0\cos(\gamma - \theta) - \cos(\alpha - \beta) = 0 holds if and only if α=γ\alpha = \gamma, β=θ\beta = \theta (i.e. AA, BB, CC, DD are concyclic) or α=θ\alpha = \theta, β=γ\beta = \gamma (which follows AB∥CDAB \parallel CD, a contradiction); ab−cd=0ab - cd = 0 holds if and only if AD∥BCAD \parallel BC; ac−bd=0ac - bd = 0 holds if and only if AA, BB, CC, DD are concyclic.
So, when AD∥BCAD \parallel BC holds, we also have
EM×FN=EN×FM. EM \times FN = EN \times FM.
We know that AA, BB, CC, DD are not concyclic in this case because PB≠PCPB \neq PC, so the answer is "false".

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