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Taiwan IMO Selection Camp

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+dC≥2(d1+d2+d3). d_A + d_B + d_C \geq 2(d_1 + d_2 + d_3).

Solution

As shown in the figure, PD⊥BCPD \perp BC, PE⊥CAPE \perp CA, PF⊥ABPF \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=180∘−∠A=∠B+∠C\angle EPF = 180^\circ - \angle A = \angle B + \angle C.

Using the Law of Sines EF=dAsin⁡AEF = d_A \sin A, and the Law of Cosines, we can derive
(dAsin⁡A)2=EF2=d22+d32−2d2d3cos⁡∠EPF=d22+d32−2d2d3cos⁡(∠B+∠C)=d22(cos⁡2C+sin⁡2C)+d32(cos⁡2B+sin⁡2B)−2d2d3(cos⁡Bcos⁡C−sin⁡Bsin⁡C)=(d2cos⁡C−d3cos⁡B)2+(d2sin⁡C+d3sin⁡B)2≥(d2sin⁡C+d3sin⁡B)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 dAsin⁡A>d2sin⁡C+d3sin⁡Bd_A \sin A > d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B, that is, dA≥d2sin⁡C+d3sin⁡Bsin⁡Ad_A \geq \dfrac{d_2 \sin C + d_3 \sin B}{\sin A}.

Similarly we can prove
dB≥d3sin⁡A+d1sin⁡Csin⁡B,dC≥d1sin⁡B+d2sin⁡Asin⁡C. 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+dC≥d2sin⁡C+d3sin⁡Bsin⁡A+d3sin⁡A+d1sin⁡Csin⁡B+d1sin⁡B+d2sin⁡Asin⁡C=d1(sin⁡Csin⁡B+sin⁡Bsin⁡C)+d2(sin⁡Asin⁡C+sin⁡Csin⁡A)+d3(sin⁡Bsin⁡A+sin⁡Asin⁡B)≥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.