Maths Olympiad Prep

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South-Afrika, 2011

Geometry Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it South Africa

In triangle ABCABC, ∠A=60∘\angle A = 60^\circ. Let EE and FF be points on the extensions of ABAB and ACAC such that BE=CF=BCBE = CF = BC. The circumcircle of ACEACE intersects EFEF in KK (different from EE). Prove that KK lies on the bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC.

Solution

Let TT be the intersection of BFBF and CECE. We have that ∠BCE+∠BEC=∠ABC\angle BCE + \angle BEC = \angle ABC, and since BC=BEBC = BE, it follows that ∠BCE=12∠ABC\angle BCE = \frac{1}{2} \angle ABC. Similarly, ∠CBF=12∠ACB\angle CBF = \frac{1}{2} \angle ACB. Hence
∠CTF=∠BCE+∠CBF=12(∠ABC+∠ACB)=60∘, \angle CTF = \angle BCE + \angle CBF = \frac{1}{2}(\angle ABC + \angle ACB) = 60^\circ,
and so ABTCABTC is a cyclic quadrilateral. Hence ∠EBF=∠ACE=∠AKE\angle EBF = \angle ACE = \angle AKE and ∠ABF=180∘−∠EBF=180∘−∠AKE=∠AKF\angle ABF = 180^\circ - \angle EBF = 180^\circ - \angle AKE = \angle AKF, which implies that ABKFABKF is cyclic. Hence we have that ∠EBK=∠CFK\angle EBK = \angle CFK, and since ACKEACKE is cyclic, we have ∠BEK=∠FCK\angle BEK = \angle FCK. Together with BE=FCBE = FC it follows that triangles KBEKBE and KFCKFC are congruent. Hence KC=KEKC = KE, which means that ∠CAK\angle CAK and ∠BAK\angle BAK are subtended by equal chords in the circumcircle of ACEACE, and hence are equal, as required.

Let LL be the intersection of EFEF and the angle bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC. Let BC=aBC = a, AC=bAC = b and AB=cAB = c. Then EB=FC=aEB = FC = a.
Using the cosine rule in triangle ABCABC, we obtain a2=b2+c2−bca^2 = b^2 + c^2 - bc, and using the cosine rule in triangle AEFAEF, we obtain
EF2=(a+c)2+(a+b)2−(a+c)(a+b)=a2+b2+c2+ab+ac−bc. EF^2 = (a+c)^2 + (a+b)^2 - (a+c)(a+b) = a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + ac - bc.
Since ALAL bisects angle AEFAEF, it follows that ELFL=AEFA=a+ca+b\frac{EL}{FL} = \frac{AE}{FA} = \frac{a+c}{a+b}, which yields FL=a+b2a+b+cFEFL = \frac{a+b}{2a+b+c} FE. Now,
FL⋅FE−FC⋅FA=a+b2a+b+cFE⋅FE−a(a+b)=a+b2a+b+c(a2+b2+c2+ab+ac−bc)−a(a+b)=a+b2a+b+c(b2+c2−bc−a2)=0(cosine rule in triangle ABC). \begin{align*} FL \cdot FE - FC \cdot FA &= \frac{a+b}{2a+b+c} FE \cdot FE - a(a+b) \\ &= \frac{a+b}{2a+b+c} (a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + ab + ac - bc) - a(a+b) \\ &= \frac{a+b}{2a+b+c} (b^2 + c^2 - bc - a^2) \\ &= 0 \quad (\text{cosine rule in triangle } ABC). \end{align*}
Hence FL⋅FE=FC⋅FAFL \cdot FE = FC \cdot FA, which shows that ACLEACLE is a cyclic quadrilateral, i.e. L=KL = K.

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