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Geometry Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it IMO

In the triangle ABCA B C the point JJ is the center of the excircle opposite to AA. This excircle is tangent to the side BCB C at MM, and to the lines ABA B and ACA C at KK and LL respectively. The lines LML M and BJB J meet at FF, and the lines KMK M and CJC J meet at GG. Let SS be the point of intersection of the lines AFA F and BCB C, and let TT be the point of intersection of the lines AGA G and BCB C. Prove that MM is the midpoint of STS T.

Solution

Let α=CAB\alpha=\angle C A B, β=ABC\beta=\angle A B C and γ=BCA\gamma=\angle B C A. The line AJA J is the bisector of CAB\angle C A B, so JAK=JAL=α2\angle J A K=\angle J A L=\frac{\alpha}{2}. By AKJ=ALJ=90\angle A K J=\angle A L J=90^{\circ} the points KK and LL lie on the circle ω\omega with diameter AJA J.

The triangle KBMK B M is isosceles as BKB K and BMB M are tangents to the excircle. Since BJB J is the bisector of KBM\angle K B M, we have MBJ=90β2\angle M B J=90^{\circ}-\frac{\beta}{2} and BMK=β2\angle B M K=\frac{\beta}{2}. Likewise MCJ=90γ2\angle M C J=90^{\circ}-\frac{\gamma}{2} and CML=γ2\angle C M L=\frac{\gamma}{2}. Also BMF=CML\angle B M F=\angle C M L, therefore
LFJ=MBJBMF=(90β2)γ2=α2=LAJ. \angle L F J=\angle M B J-\angle B M F=\left(90^{\circ}-\frac{\beta}{2}\right)-\frac{\gamma}{2}=\frac{\alpha}{2}=\angle L A J .
Hence FF lies on the circle ω\omega. (By the angle computation, FF and AA are on the same side of BCB C.) Analogously, GG also lies on ω\omega. Since AJA J is a diameter of ω\omega, we obtain AFJ=AGJ=90\angle A F J=\angle A G J=90^{\circ}.

Figure 1

The lines ABA B and BCB C are symmetric with respect to the external bisector BFB F. Because AFBFA F \perp B F and KMBFK M \perp B F, the segments SMS M and AKA K are symmetric with respect to BFB F, hence SM=AKS M=A K. By symmetry TM=ALT M=A L. Since AKA K and ALA L are equal as tangents to the excircle, it follows that SM=TMS M=T M, and the proof is complete.

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