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NMO Selection Tests for BMO and IMO

Geometry Difficulty 8.5 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let △ABC\triangle ABC be a triangle and let ω\omega be its AA-excircle (excircle opposite vertex AA). Let D,E,FD, E, F be the points where ω\omega touches the lines BC,CA,ABBC, CA, AB, respectively. The circle AEFAEF crosses the line BCBC at PP and QQ. Let MM be the midpoint of the line segment ADAD. Prove that the circles ω\omega and MPQMPQ are tangent.

Solution

For convenience, let Ω\Omega and γ\gamma denote the circles AEFPQAEFPQ and MPQMPQ, respectively. Letting the line ADAD cross ω\omega again at TT, we will show that γ\gamma and ω\omega are tangent at TT.

We first prove that the points M,P,Q,TM, P, Q, T are concyclic, so TT lies on γ\gamma. Let A′A' be the center of ω\omega, and notice that AA′AA' is a diameter of Ω\Omega, since A′EA'E and A′FA'F are perpendicular to AEAE and AFAF, respectively. Let NN be the midpoint of the line segment DTDT. Since A′D=A′TA'D = A'T, the angle A′NAA'NA is right, so NN also lies on Ω\Omega, and therefore DP⋅DQ=DA⋅DNDP \cdot DQ = DA \cdot DN; and since DA=2DMDA = 2DM and DT=2DNDT = 2DN, it follows that DP⋅DQ=DM⋅DTDP \cdot DQ = DM \cdot DT, showing that M,P,Q,TM, P, Q, T are indeed concyclic.

If EFEF and BCBC are parallel, then the triangle ABCABC is isosceles with apex at AA and the conclusion follows by symmetry.

Otherwise, the lines PQPQ and EFEF cross at a point RR; these lines are the radical axes of Ω,γ\Omega, \gamma and Ω,ω\Omega, \omega, respectively, so RR is the radical center of the three circles, and RTRT is the radical axis of γ\gamma and ω\omega.

To conclude the proof, it is therefore sufficient to show that RTRT is tangent to ω\omega. With respect to this circle, the line DRDR is the polar of DD, and the line EFEF is the polar of AA, so R=DR∩EFR = DR \cap EF is the pole of the line ADTADT. Consequently, RTRT is indeed tangent to ω\omega.

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