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Geometry Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Let PP be a point inside an acute triangle ABCABC, and let its distances to the three vertices be dA,dB,dCd_A, d_B, d_C respectively, and its perpendicular distances to the three sides be d1,d2,d3d_1, d_2, d_3 respectively. Prove that:
dA+dB+dC2(d1+d2+d3). d_A + d_B + d_C \geq 2(d_1 + d_2 + d_3).

Solution

As shown in the figure, PDBCPD \perp BC, PECAPE \perp CA, PFABPF \perp AB.
Figure 1

Since AEP+AFP=90+90=180\angle AEP + \angle AFP = 90^\circ + 90^\circ = 180^\circ, A,E,P,FA, E, P, F are concyclic, and AP=dAAP = d_A is a diameter of this circle, from which we obtain: EPF=180A=B+C\angle EPF = 180^\circ - \angle A = \angle B + \angle C.

Using the Law of Sines EF=dAsinAEF = d_A \sin A, and the Law of Cosines, we can derive
(dAsinA)2=EF2=d22+d322d2d3cosEPF=d22+d322d2d3cos(B+C)=d22(cos2C+sin2C)+d32(cos2B+sin2B)2d2d3(cosBcosCsinBsinC)=(d2cosCd3cosB)2+(d2sinC+d3sinB)2(d2sinC+d3sinB)2. \begin{aligned} (d_A \sin A)^2 &= EF^2 = d_2^2 + d_3^2 - 2d_2 d_3 \cos \angle EPF \\ &= d_2^2 + d_3^2 - 2d_2 d_3 \cos(\angle B + \angle C) \\ &= d_2^2(\cos^2 C + \sin^2 C) + d_3^2(\cos^2 B + \sin^2 B) - 2d_2 d_3(\cos B \cos C - \sin B \sin C) \\ &= (d_2 \cos C - d_3 \cos B)^2 + (d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B)^2 \\ &\geq (d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B)^2. \end{aligned}
Therefore we have dAsinA>d2sinC+d3sinBd_A \sin A > d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B, that is, dAd2sinC+d3sinBsinAd_A \geq \dfrac{d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B}{\sin A}.

Similarly we can prove
dBd3sinA+d1sinCsinB,dCd1sinB+d2sinAsinC. d_B \geq \dfrac{d_3 \sin A + d_1 \sin C}{\sin B}, \quad d_C \geq \dfrac{d_1 \sin B + d_2 \sin A}{\sin C}.
Therefore
dA+dB+dCd2sinC+d3sinBsinA+d3sinA+d1sinCsinB+d1sinB+d2sinAsinC=d1(sinCsinB+sinBsinC)+d2(sinAsinC+sinCsinA)+d3(sinBsinA+sinAsinB)2(d1+d2+d3). \begin{aligned} d_A + d_B + d_C &\geq \dfrac{d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B}{\sin A} + \dfrac{d_3 \sin A + d_1 \sin C}{\sin B} + \dfrac{d_1 \sin B + d_2 \sin A}{\sin C} \\ &= d_1 \left( \dfrac{\sin C}{\sin B} + \dfrac{\sin B}{\sin C} \right) + d_2 \left( \dfrac{\sin A}{\sin C} + \dfrac{\sin C}{\sin A} \right) + d_3 \left( \dfrac{\sin B}{\sin A} + \dfrac{\sin A}{\sin B} \right) \\ &\geq 2(d_1 + d_2 + d_3). \end{aligned}

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.