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Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCDABCD be a convex quadrilateral with non-parallel sides BCBC and ADAD. Assume that there is a point EE on the side BCBC such that the quadrilaterals ABEDABED and AECDAECD are circumscribed. Prove that there is a point FF on the side ADAD such that the quadrilaterals ABCFABCF and BCDFBCDF are circumscribed if and only if ABAB is parallel to CDCD.

Solution

Let ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 be the incircles and O1O_1 and O2O_2 the incenters of the quadrilaterals ABEDABED and AECDAECD respectively. A point FF with the stated property exists only if ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 are also the incircles of the quadrilaterals ABCFABCF and BCDFBCDF.

Figure 1

Let the tangents from BB to ω2\omega_2 and from CC to ω1\omega_1 (other than BCBC) meet ADAD at F1F_1 and F2F_2 respectively. We need to prove that F1=F2F_1 = F_2 if and only if ABCDAB \parallel CD.

Lemma. The circles ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 with centers O1O_1 and O2O_2 are inscribed in an angle with vertex OO. The points P,SP, S on one side of the angle and Q,RQ, R on the other side are such that ω1\omega_1 is the incircle of the triangle PQOPQO, and ω2\omega_2 is the excircle of the triangle RSORSO opposite to OO. Denote p=OO1OO2p = OO_1 \cdot OO_2. Then exactly one of the following relations holds:
OPOR<p<OQOS,OPOR>p>OQOS,OPOR=p=OQOS. OP \cdot OR < p < OQ \cdot OS, \quad OP \cdot OR > p > OQ \cdot OS, \quad OP \cdot OR = p = OQ \cdot OS.
Proof. Denote OPO1=u\angle OPO_1 = u, OQO1=v\angle OQO_1 = v, OO2R=x\angle OO_2R = x, OO2S=y\angle OO_2S = y, POQ=2φ\angle POQ = 2\varphi. Because PO1PO_1, QO1QO_1, RO2RO_2, SO2SO_2 are internal or external bisectors in the triangles PQOPQO and RSORSO, we have
u+v=x+y(=90φ). \begin{equation*} u + v = x + y \left(= 90^\circ - \varphi\right). \tag{1} \end{equation*}
Figure 2

By the law of sines
OPOO1=sin(u+φ)sinu and OO2OR=sin(x+φ)sinx. \frac{OP}{OO_1} = \frac{\sin(u+\varphi)}{\sin u} \quad \text{ and } \quad \frac{OO_2}{OR} = \frac{\sin(x+\varphi)}{\sin x}.
Therefore, since x,ux, u and φ\varphi are acute,
OPORpOPOO1OO2ORsinxsin(u+φ)sinusin(x+φ)sin(xu)0xuOP \cdot OR \geq p \Leftrightarrow \frac{OP}{OO_1} \geq \frac{OO_2}{OR} \Leftrightarrow \sin x \sin(u+\varphi) \geq \sin u \sin(x+\varphi) \Leftrightarrow \sin(x-u) \geq 0 \Leftrightarrow x \geq u.
Thus OPORpOP \cdot OR \geq p is equivalent to xux \geq u, with OPOR=pOP \cdot OR = p if and only if x=ux = u.
Analogously, pOQOSp \geq OQ \cdot OS is equivalent to vyv \geq y, with p=OQOSp = OQ \cdot OS if and only if v=yv = y. On the other hand xux \geq u and vyv \geq y are equivalent by (1), with x=ux = u if and only if v=yv = y. The conclusion of the lemma follows from here.

Going back to the problem, apply the lemma to the quadruples {B,E,D,F1},{A,B,C,D}\{B, E, D, F_1\}, \{A, B, C, D\} and {A,E,C,F2}\{A, E, C, F_2\}. Assuming OEOF1>pOE \cdot OF_1 > p, we obtain
OEOF1>pOBOD<pOAOC>pOEOF2<p. OE \cdot OF_1 > p \Rightarrow OB \cdot OD < p \Rightarrow OA \cdot OC > p \Rightarrow OE \cdot OF_2 < p.
In other words, OEOF1>pOE \cdot OF_1 > p implies
OBOD<p<OAOC and OEOF1>p>OEOF2. OB \cdot OD < p < OA \cdot OC \text{ and } OE \cdot OF_1 > p > OE \cdot OF_2.
Similarly, OEOF1<pOE \cdot OF_1 < p implies
OBOD>p>OAOC and OEOF1<p<OEOF2. OB \cdot OD > p > OA \cdot OC \text{ and } OE \cdot OF_1 < p < OE \cdot OF_2.
In these cases F1F2F_1 \neq F_2 and OBODOAOCOB \cdot OD \neq OA \cdot OC, so the lines ABAB and CDCD are not parallel.

There remains the case OEOF1=pOE \cdot OF_1 = p. Here the lemma leads to OBOD=p=OAOCOB \cdot OD = p = OA \cdot OC and OEOF1=p=OEOF2OE \cdot OF_1 = p = OE \cdot OF_2. Therefore F1=F2F_1 = F_2 and ABCDAB \parallel CD.

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