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Geometry Difficulty 6.0 AIME, harder Prove it Ireland

Let K,L,MK, L, M denote three points on the sides BC,ABBC, AB and ACAC of ABC\triangle ABC, so that ALKMALKM is a parallelogram. Points SS and TT are chosen on lines KLKL and KMKM respectively, so that the quadrilaterals ASBKASBK and AKCTAKCT are both cyclic. Prove that SLMTSLMT is cyclic if and only if KK is the midpoint of BCBC.

Solution

The problem can be solved by angle chasing, by algebraic equations resulting from similar triangles, or by a combination of the two methods.

We first show that S,A,TS, A, T are collinear. Because ASBKASBK is cyclic, we have SAB=SKB\angle SAB = \angle SKB. From KSACKS \parallel AC we get SKB=C\angle SKB = \angle C, so SAB=C\angle SAB = \angle C. Similarly TAC=B\angle TAC = \angle B, which shows that S,A,TS, A, T are collinear as
SAT=A+B+C=180. \angle SAT = \angle A + \angle B + \angle C = 180^\circ.

Quadrilateral SLMTSLMT is cyclic iff KLM=ATM\angle KLM = \angle ATM. But ATM=C\angle ATM = \angle C and KLM=AML\angle KLM = \angle AML so MLSTMLST is cyclic if and only if AML=C\angle AML = \angle C, which is equivalent to MLBCML \parallel BC.

Figure 1

We will show in two ways that MLBCML \parallel BC is equivalent to KK being the midpoint of BCBC.

Version 1. Suppose MLBCML \parallel BC. Because KMABKM \parallel AB and KLACKL \parallel AC, we have two parallelograms BKMLBKML and CKLMCKLM hence BK=ML=CKBK = ML = CK.
Reciprocally, if KK is the midpoint of BCBC, then KMABKM \parallel AB and KLACKL \parallel AC imply that LL and MM are the mid-points of ABAB and ACAC, respectively. Hence MLML is a midline in ABC\triangle ABC and so MLBCML \parallel BC.

Version 2. By the Intercept Theorem, MLBCML \parallel BC is equivalent to AMMC=ALLB\frac{AM}{MC} = \frac{AL}{LB}. On the other hand, KLACKL \parallel AC and MKABMK \parallel AB imply
CKKB=ALLBandAMMC=BKKC. \frac{CK}{KB} = \frac{AL}{LB} \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{AM}{MC} = \frac{BK}{KC}.
Hence, SLMTSLMT is cyclic if and only if CKKB=BKKC\frac{CK}{KB} = \frac{BK}{KC}, i.e. CK=KBCK = KB.

Solution 2. (based on a strategy by AngYang Li)

Denote lengths of segments as follows:
c=ABx=AM=KLb=ACy=AL=MK. \begin{aligned} c &= |AB| & x &= |AM| = |KL| \\ b &= |AC| & y &= |AL| = |MK|. \end{aligned}
Since LKACLK \parallel AC and MKABMK \parallel AB, we have MKCABCLBK\triangle MKC \sim \triangle ABC \sim \triangle LBK, hence
bxy=bc=xcyand soy=cb(bx)andcy=cbx.(13) \frac{b-x}{y} = \frac{b}{c} = \frac{x}{c-y} \quad \text{and so} \quad y = \frac{c}{b}(b-x) \quad \text{and} \quad c-y = \frac{c}{b} \cdot x. \quad (13)

KMMT=AMMC=x(bx)KLLS=ALLB=y(cy). \begin{aligned} |KM| \cdot |MT| &= |AM| \cdot |MC| = x(b-x) \\ |KL| \cdot |LS| &= |AL| \cdot |LB| = y(c-y). \end{aligned}
Finally, SLMTSLMT is cyclic iff KLMKTS\triangle KLM \sim \triangle KTS, which in turn is equivalent to KMKL=KSKT\frac{|KM|}{|KL|} = \frac{|KS|}{|KT|} which we rewrite as follows in equivalent ways
KMKT=KLKSKM2+KMMT=KL2+KLLSy2+x(bx)=x2+y(cy) \begin{aligned} & |KM| \cdot |KT| = |KL| \cdot |KS| \\ & |KM|^2 + |KM| \cdot |MT| = |KL|^2 + |KL| \cdot |LS| \\ & y^2 + x(b-x) = x^2 + y \cdot (c-y) \\ \end{aligned}
(b2x)(c2b2(bx)+x)=0. (b - 2x) \left( \frac{c^2}{b^2} (b - x) + x \right) = 0.
The last equation holds true iff b=2xb = 2x, i.e. MM is the midpoint of ACAC, which is equivalent to KK being the midpoint of BCBC, as MKABMK \parallel AB.

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