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International Mathematical Arhimede Contest

Geometry Difficulty 6.6 National Olympiad Prove it Spain

Let ABCABC be a triangle with ∠ABC=120∘\angle ABC = 120^\circ and triangle bisectors (AA1)(AA_1), (BB1)(BB_1), (CC1)(CC_1), respectively. B1F⊥A1C1B_1F \perp A_1C_1, where F∈(A1C1)F \in (A_1C_1). Let RR, II and SS be the centers of circles which are inscribed in triangles C1B1FC_1B_1F, C1B1A1C_1B_1A_1, A1B1FA_1B_1F, and B1S∩A1C1={Q}B_1S \cap A_1C_1 = \{Q\}. Show that RR, II, SS, QQ are on the same circle.

Solution

First, we will show that ∠C1B1A1=90∘\angle C_1B_1A_1 = 90^\circ. Let K∈BCK \in BC so that B∈(KA1)B \in (KA_1), then ∠ABK=60∘\angle ABK = 60^\circ. Point C1C_1 is on the bisector of ∠ACB\angle ACB and this implies that d(C1,BC)=d(C1,AC)d(C_1, BC) = d(C_1, AC) or C1F1=C1F3C_1F_1 = C_1F_3, where F1F_1 is the projection of C1C_1 on BCBC and F3F_3 is the projection of C1C_1 on ACAC. Segment BABA is the bisector of ∠KBB1\angle KBB_1 implies that d(C1,KB)=d(C1,BB1)d(C_1, KB) = d(C_1, BB_1) or C1F1=C1F2C_1F_1 = C_1F_2, where F2F_2 is the projection of C1C_1 on BB1BB_1. So, C1F2=C1F3C_1F_2 = C_1F_3 and C1B1C_1B_1 is the bisector of ∠BB1A\angle BB_1A. Let us denote ∠BB1C1=α\angle BB_1C_1 = \alpha. Likewise, we prove that B1A1B_1A_1 is the bisector of ∠BB1C\angle BB_1C. Let ∠BB1A1=∠CB1A1=β\angle BB_1A_1 = \angle CB_1A_1 = \beta. Then, from ∠AB1C=180∘\angle AB_1C = 180^\circ we have 2α+2β=180∘2\alpha + 2\beta = 180^\circ and α+β=90∘\alpha + \beta = 90^\circ.

Figure 1

Let r1r_1 be the radius of inscribed circle to △A1B1C1\triangle A_1B_1C_1, r2r_2 the radius of inscribed circle to △C1B1F\triangle C_1B_1F, and r3r_3 be the radius of inscribed circle to △A1B1F\triangle A_1B_1F, respectively. Considering the properties of right triangles, we have
△C1FB1∼△C1B1A1⇒r2r1=B1C1C1A1=cos⁡C1 \triangle C_1FB_1 \sim \triangle C_1B_1A_1 \Rightarrow \frac{r_2}{r_1} = \frac{B_1C_1}{C_1A_1} = \cos C_1
from which follows r2=r1cos⁡C1=r1sin⁡A1r_2 = r_1 \cos C_1 = r_1 \sin A_1. Likewise,
r3r1=A1B1C1A1=cos⁡A1⇒r3=r1cos⁡A1=r1sin⁡C1 \frac{r_3}{r_1} = \frac{A_1 B_1}{C_1 A_1} = \cos A_1 \Rightarrow r_3 = r_1 \cos A_1 = r_1 \sin C_1
Now, we will see that I1R∥A1B1I_1R \parallel A_1B_1 and I1S∥C1B1I_1S \parallel C_1B_1, where I1I_1 is the projection of II on C1A1C_1A_1. Let I1R2⊥C1B1I_1R_2 \perp C_1B_1, R2∈(C1B1)R_2 \in (C_1B_1) and I1R2∩C1I={R∗}I_1R_2 \cap C_1I = \{R^*\}. On account that △C1II1∼△C1R∗R2\triangle C_1II_1 \sim \triangle C_1R^*R_2, then
R∗R2II1=C1R2C1I1=cos⁡C1⇒R∗R2=r1cos⁡C1=r2 \frac{R^*R_2}{II_1} = \frac{C_1R_2}{C_1I_1} = \cos C_1 \Rightarrow R^*R_2 = r_1 \cos C_1 = r_2
from which follows R∗=R,I1R⊥C1B1⇒I1R∥A1B1R^* = R, I_1R \perp C_1B_1 \Rightarrow I_1R \parallel A_1B_1. Likewise, we get I1S∥C1B1I_1S \parallel C_1B_1.

Figure 2

In triangle I1RR1I_1RR_1 we have r2=I1Rsin⁡A1=r1cos⁡C1=r1sin⁡A1r_2 = I_1R \sin A_1 = r_1 \cos C_1 = r_1 \sin A_1 and I1R=r1I_1R = r_1. In triangle I1SS1I_1SS_1 we have r3=I1Ssin⁡C1=r1cos⁡A1=r1sin⁡C1r_3 = I_1S \sin C_1 = r_1 \cos A_1 = r_1 \sin C_1 from which follows I1S=r1I_1S = r_1. Finally, we get I1R=II1=I1S=r1I_1R = II_1 = I_1S = r_1. Since △QSI1∼△QB1C1\triangle QSI_1 \sim \triangle QB_1C_1, then
SI1B1C1=I1QC1Q⇒SI1=I1Q \frac{SI_1}{B_1C_1} = \frac{I_1Q}{C_1Q} \Rightarrow SI_1 = I_1Q
on account that B1C1=C1QB_1C_1 = C_1Q. Now, we can conclude that points R,I,SR, I, S, and QQ lie on the same circle. □\square

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