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Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Germany

Problem:

In an isosceles triangle ABCABC with BC=CA\overline{BC}=\overline{CA}, let DD be a point in the interior of the side ABAB for which AD<DB\overline{AD}<\overline{DB} holds. Furthermore, let PP and QQ be two points in the interior of the sides BCBC and CACA respectively, such that DPB=AQD=90\angle DPB=\angle AQD=90^{\circ} holds. The perpendicular bisector of PQPQ intersects CQCQ at the point EE, and the circumcircles of the triangles ABCABC and QPCQPC intersect, besides at CC, at a further point FF.
Prove: If P,EP, E and FF are collinear, then ACB=90\angle ACB=90^{\circ}.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:

We denote the perpendicular bisector of the segment PQPQ by mm and the circle QPCFQPCF by kk. Because DPBCDP \perp BC and DQACDQ \perp AC, DD also lies on kk, and CDCD is in fact a diameter of kk. The segments QEQE and PEPE are symmetric with respect to mm; at the same time mm is also an axis of symmetry of kk. Therefore the chords CQCQ and FPFP are symmetric with respect to mm, hence so are CC and FF (by assumption P,EP, E and FF are collinear!). Thus the perpendicular bisector of CFCF coincides with mm; it follows that mm passes through the circumcenter OO of ABCABC.
Now we consider the midpoint MM of the segment ABAB. Because CMDMCM \perp DM, MM also lies

Figure 1

on kk. Because ACM=MCB\angle ACM=\angle MCB, it follows from the inscribed angle theorem that the chords MPMP and MQMQ of kk are equal in length. This shows, however, that mm passes through MM. Since both OO and MM lie on mm and on CMCM, it follows that O=MO=M and hence ACB=90\angle ACB=90^{\circ}.

Solution 2

Solution:

As carried out in the first solution, we establish that the points P,C,F,Q,DP, C, F, Q, D and the midpoint MM of ABAB lie on the circle kk with diameter CDCD, and that the perpendicular bisector mm of PQPQ passes through MM.
Let GG be the intersection point of BFBF and CMCM, and let us denote α=FBA\alpha=\angle FBA. Because EE lies on mm, because P,EP, E and FF are collinear,

Figure 2

and because CFABCFAB and CFQPCFQP are cyclic quadrilaterals, it follows that PQC=PQE=EPQ=FPQ=FCQ=FCA=FBA=α\angle PQC=\angle PQE=\angle EPQ=\angle FPQ=\angle FCQ=\angle FCA=\angle FBA=\alpha.
Furthermore FEM=FEQ+QEM=2α+(90α)=90+α\angle FEM=\angle FEQ+\angle QEM=2\alpha+(90^{\circ}-\alpha)=90^{\circ}+\alpha holds. Likewise, by exterior angles, FGM=90+α\angle FGM=90^{\circ}+\alpha holds; therefore MGEFMGEF is a cyclic quadrilateral.
It follows that CGE=MFE=MFP=MCP\angle CGE=\angle MFE=\angle MFP=\angle MCP. Hence GEBCGE \parallel BC, and thus we obtain EAF=CAF=CBF=EGF\angle EAF=\angle CAF=\angle CBF=\angle EGF, so that GEFAGEFA is likewise a cyclic quadrilateral. From this it follows that ACB=AFB=AFG=180GMA=90\angle ACB=\angle AFB=\angle AFG=180^{\circ}-\angle GMA=90^{\circ}, which was to be shown.

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