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Indian National Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Prove it India

In triangle ABCABC with CA=CBCA = CB, point EE lies on the circumcircle of ABCABC such that ∠ECB=90∘\angle ECB = 90^\circ. The line through EE parallel to CBCB intersects CACA in FF and ABAB in GG. Prove that the centre of the circumcircle of triangle EGBEGB lies on the circumcircle of triangle ECFECF.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Figure 1

We have FG=FAFG = FA since FGFG is parallel to BCBC. But also △GAE\triangle GAE is a right angle triangle. Thus, if F′F' is the midpoint of GEGE, then ∠GAF=∠FGA=∠F′GA=∠GAF′\angle GAF = \angle FGA = \angle F'GA = \angle GAF' which implies F≡F′F \equiv F'. Thus, FF is the midpoint of GEGE.

If OO is the circumcenter of △EBG\triangle EBG, then
∠FOE=∠GBE=∠ABE=∠ACE=∠FCE. \angle FOE = \angle GBE = \angle ABE = \angle ACE = \angle FCE.
Thus, we get ∠FOE=∠FCE\angle FOE = \angle FCE as desired. □\square

Solution 2

(∠BCA\angle BCA acute case) Let O1O_1 be the circumcenter of △ABC\triangle ABC, OO be the circumcenter of △EBG\triangle EBG and ω\omega be the circumcircle of △ECF\triangle ECF.

First, show that FF is the midpoint of EGEG as in Solution 1. Next, we show that O1O_1 lies on ω\omega. This follows from
∠EO1C=2∠EBC=2∠O1BC=2∠BCO1=∠BCA=∠EFC. \angle EO_1C = 2\angle EBC = 2\angle O_1BC = 2\angle BCO_1 = \angle BCA = \angle EFC.
Now, O1O_1 is the midpoint of EBEB and FF is the midpoint of EGEG, therefore the homothety at EE with ratio 1/21/2 takes △EGB\triangle EGB to △EFO1\triangle EFO_1. Thus, it takes OO, the circumcenter of △EGB\triangle EGB, to the circumcenter of △EFO1\triangle EFO_1, thus proving that the midpoint of EOEO is the center of ω\omega. This immediately implies that OO lies on ω\omega. □\square

Solution 3

(∠BCA\angle BCA acute case) Let O1O_1 be the circumcenter of △ABC\triangle ABC, OO be the circumcenter of △EBG\triangle EBG and ω\omega be the circumcircle of ECFECF.
First, show that FF is the midpoint of EGEG as in Solution 1. Next, we show that O1O_1 lies on ω\omega. This follows from
∠EO1C=2∠EBC=2∠O1BC=2∠BCO1=∠BCA=∠EFC. \angle EO_1C = 2\angle EBC = 2\angle O_1BC = 2\angle BCO_1 = \angle BCA = \angle EFC.
Now, O1O_1 is the midpoint of EBEB and FF is the midpoint of EGEG, therefore the homothety at EE with ratio 1/21/2 takes △EGB\triangle EGB to △EFO1\triangle EFO_1. Thus, it takes OO, the circumcenter of △EGB\triangle EGB, to the circumcenter of △EFO1\triangle EFO_1, thus proving that the midpoint of EOEO is the center of ω\omega. This immediately implies that OO lies on ω\omega. □\square

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