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Saudi Arabian Mathematical Competitions

Geometry Difficulty 4.5 AIME Prove it Saudi Arabia

Let ABCABC be a triangle with ∠A<∠B≤∠C\angle A < \angle B \leq \angle C, MM and NN the midpoints of sides CACA and ABAB, respectively, and PP and QQ the projections of BB and CC on the medians CNCN and BMBM, respectively. Prove that the quadrilateral MNPQMNPQ is cyclic.

Solution

Because ∠BPC=∠BQC=90∘\angle BPC = \angle BQC = 90^\circ, quadrilateral BCQPBCQP is cyclic and therefore
∠CPQ=∠CBQ. \angle CPQ = \angle CBQ.
Because MM and NN are midpoints of sides ACAC and ABAB, segment MNMN is parallel to side BCBC. Hence ∠NMQ=∠CBQ\angle NMQ = \angle CBQ.

We deduce that ∠NMQ=∠CPQ\angle NMQ = \angle CPQ. This proves that quadrilateral MNPQMNPQ is cyclic.

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