Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /1178 of 1394

, 2025

Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:

Let ω1\omega_{1} and ω2\omega_{2} be two circles intersecting at distinct points AA and BB. Point XX varies along ω1\omega_{1}, and point YY on ω2\omega_{2} is chosen such that ABAB bisects the angle XAY\angle XAY. Prove that as XX varies along ω1\omega_{1}, the circumcenter of AXY\triangle AXY (if it exists) varies along a fixed line.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:

Figure 1

Let O1O_{1}, O2O_{2}, and OO be the centers of ω1\omega_{1}, ω2\omega_{2}, and the circumcircle of AXY\triangle AXY, respectively.
We claim that triangle OO1O2O O_{1}O_{2} is isosceles with OO1=OO2O O_{1} = O O_{2}, and thus in particular OO always lies on the perpendicular bisector of O1O2O_{1}O_{2}.

To this end, observe that OO1AXO O_{1} \perp A X and O1O2ABO_{1}O_{2} \perp A B, so OO1O2=XAB\angle O O_{1}O_{2} = \angle X A B. Analogously, OO2O1=YAB\angle O O_{2}O_{1} = \angle Y A B. So indeed OO1O2O O_{1}O_{2} is isosceles, and we are done.

Solution 2

Solution:

Figure 2

Let AA^{\prime} be the AA-antipode in circle (AXY)(A X Y). It suffices to show that AA^{\prime} lies on a fixed line. We will show that this line is one that is parallel to ABA B.
Let MM be the second intersection of line ABA B with circle (AXY)(A X Y), and let NN be the antipode of MM on this circle. Since AMANA M A^{\prime}N is a rectangle with NN lying on the line through AA perpendicular to ABA B, it suffices to show that NN is fixed (independent of XX and YY).
To this end, take an inversion at AA with arbitrary radius, denoting images with \bullet \mapsto \bullet^{*}.
Observe that XX^{*} and YY^{*} lie on the fixed lines 1=ω1\ell_{1} = \omega_{1}^{*} and 2=ω2\ell_{2} = \omega_{2}^{*}. Let \ell be the line through AA perpendicular to ABA B^{*}, and suppose that 1\ell_{1} and 2\ell_{2} intersect \ell at PP and QQ, respectively.
Since XAB=BAY\angle X A B = \angle B A Y, we have XAB=BAY\angle X^{*}A B^{*} = \angle B^{*}A Y^{*}. Circles ω1\omega_{1}, ω2\omega_{2}, and (AXY)(A X Y) are mapped to lines BXB^{*}X^{*}, BYB^{*}Y^{*}, and XYX^{*}Y^{*}. As ANABA N \perp A B, it follows that NN^{*} is the intersection of XYX^{*}Y^{*} and \ell.
Finally, observe that (N,A;P,Q)=B(N,M;X,Y)(N^{*},A;P,Q)\stackrel {B^{*}}{=}(N^{*},M^{*};X,Y) is a harmonic bundle, as AMA M^{*} bisects XAY\angle X^{*}A Y^{*} and MAN=90\angle M^{*}A N^{*} = 90^{\circ}. Since AA, PP, and QQ are fixed, so is NN^{*}. Thus NN is fixed, and OO lies on the perpendicular bisector of ANA N, which is also fixed.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.