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Geometry Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Ireland

Consider the points BB, NN, MM, CC in this order on a line, such that
∣BC∣=2∣BM∣=4∣BN∣. |BC| = 2|BM| = 4|BN|.
The perpendiculars on BCBC raised from NN and MM meet a line through CC at the points AA and EE, respectively. Let DD be the intersection of AMAM and BEBE. Prove the following statements:

a. Line ACAC is tangent to the circumcircle of △ADB\triangle ADB.

b. The point DD is the midpoint of AMAM.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Because ANAN is the perpendicular bisector of BMBM, triangle ABMABM is isosceles with ∠ABM=∠AMB\angle ABM = \angle AMB. Similarly, ∠ECB=∠EBC\angle ECB = \angle EBC in the isosceles triangle EBCEBC. We have ∠AMB=∠MAC+∠ECB\angle AMB = \angle MAC + \angle ECB (external angle) and ∠ABM=∠ABE+∠EBC\angle ABM = \angle ABE + \angle EBC.

Figure 1

Combining these equalities, we obtain
∠ABE+∠EBC=∠MAC+∠ECB=∠MAC+∠EBC, \angle ABE + \angle EBC = \angle MAC + \angle ECB = \angle MAC + \angle EBC,
hence ∠ABE=∠MAC\angle ABE = \angle MAC which means that ACAC is tangent to the circumcircle of △ADB\triangle ADB. This proves (a).

To prove (b) we note that △ACB∼△DBM\triangle ACB \sim \triangle DBM since ∠ABM=∠AMB\angle ABM = \angle AMB and ∠ECB=∠EBC\angle ECB = \angle EBC. Consequently,
∣DM∣∣AM∣=∣DM∣∣AB∣=∣BM∣∣CB∣=12 \frac{|DM|}{|AM|} = \frac{|DM|}{|AB|} = \frac{|BM|}{|CB|} = \frac{1}{2}
which means that DD is the midpoint of AMAM.

Solution 2

Let GG be the intersection of ANAN and BEBE. Since GN∥EMGN \parallel EM, ∣EM∣/∣GN∣=∣BM∣/∣BN∣=2|EM|/|GN| = |BM|/|BN| = 2. On the other hand, as EMEM and ANAN are parallel, we have
∣AN∣∣EM∣=∣CN∣∣CM∣=32, \frac{|AN|}{|EM|} = \frac{|CN|}{|CM|} = \frac{3}{2},
hence ∣AN∣=32∣EM∣=3∣GN∣|AN| = \frac{3}{2}|EM| = 3|GN|. This shows that GG is the centroid of the isosceles triangle ABMABM and BGBG intersects AMAM at its midpoint. This proves part (b).

Figure 2

From our calculation above we get ∣AG∣=23∣AN∣=∣EM∣|AG| = \frac{2}{3}|AN| = |EM| thus AGMEAGME is a parallelogram. This implies that ∠EAD=∠AMG\angle EAD = \angle AMG. From the symmetry of the isosceles triangle ABMABM we obtain ∠AMG=∠ABD\angle AMG = \angle ABD, hence ∠EAD=∠ABD\angle EAD = \angle ABD and ACAC is tangent to the circumcircle of triangle ADBADB.

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