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Geometry Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let ABCABC be a scalene triangle, let II be its incenter, and let A1A_1, B1B_1 and C1C_1 be the points of contact of the excircles with the sides BCBC, CACA and ABAB, respectively. Prove that the circumcircles of the triangles AIA1AIA_1, BIB1BIB_1 and CIC1CIC_1 have a common point different from II.

Solution

The problem amounts to showing collinearity of the antipodes A2A_2, B2B_2 and C2C_2 of II in the circles AIA1AIA_1, BIB1BIB_1 and CIC1CIC_1, respectively. In the sequel, we use the following standard notations: IaI_a, IbI_b and IcI_c are the centers of the excircles tangent to the sides BCBC, CACA and ABAB, respectively; aa, bb and cc are the lengths of the sides BCBC, CACA and ABAB, respectively; and s=(a+b+c)/2s = (a + b + c)/2 is the semiperimeter of the triangle ABCABC. Clearly, the points A2A_2, B2B_2 and C2C_2 lie on the lines IbIcI_bI_c, IcIaI_cI_a and IaIbI_aI_b, respectively. To show them collinear, we evaluate the ratio A2Ib/A2IcA_2I_b/A_2I_c and the like, and refer to the converse of Menelaus' theorem.

To evaluate the ratio A2Ib/A2IcA_2I_b/A_2I_c, we apply the Menelaus theorem to triangle IaIbIcI_aI_bI_c and line A1A2A_1A_2. Let the latter meet the lines IaIbI_aI_b and IaIcI_aI_c at PP and QQ, respectively, to write
A2IbA2Ic=PIbPIaQIaQIc. \frac{A_2I_b}{A_2I_c} = \frac{PI_b}{PI_a} \cdot \frac{QI_a}{QI_c}.
We evaluate PIaPI_a, PIbPI_b, QIaQI_a and QIcQI_c as follows. Consider the cyclic quadrangles IA1CPIA_1CP and BICIaBICI_a to infer that the triangles IPIaIPI_a and IA1BIA_1B are similar and get thereby
PIa=A1BIIaIB=scsinC2. PI_a = A_1B \cdot \frac{II_a}{IB} = \frac{s-c}{\sin \frac{C}{2}}.
Since IaIb=c/sinC2I_aI_b = c/\sin \frac{C}{2}, we obtain PIb=2cs/sinC2PI_b = |2c-s|/\sin \frac{C}{2}. Next, consider the cyclic quadrangles IA1QBIA_1QB and BICIaBICI_a to deduce that the triangles IQIaIQI_a and IA1CIA_1C are similar and get thereby
QIa=A1CIIaIC=sbsinB2. QI_a = A_1C \cdot \frac{II_a}{IC} = \frac{s-b}{\sin \frac{B}{2}}.
Since IaIc=b/sinB2I_aI_c = b/\sin \frac{B}{2}, we obtain QIc=2bs/sinB2QI_c = |2b-s|/\sin \frac{B}{2}. Consequently,
A2IbA2Ic=sbsc2cs2bs \frac{A_2I_b}{A_2I_c} = \frac{s-b}{s-c} \cdot \frac{|2c-s|}{|2b-s|}
and the conclusion follows.

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