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Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it North Macedonia

Consider an acute triangle ABCABC with area SS. Let CD⊥ABCD \perp AB (D∈ABD \in AB), DM⊥ACDM \perp AC (M∈ACM \in AC) and EN⊥BCEN \perp BC (N∈BCN \in BC). Denote by H1H_1 and H2H_2 the orthocentres of the triangles MNCMNC and MNDMND respectively. Find the area of the quadrilateral AH1BH2AH_1BH_2 in terms of SS.

Figure 1

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let OO, PP, KK, RR and TT be the mid-points of the segments CDCD, MNMN, CNCN, CH1CH_1 and MH1MH_1, respectively. From △MNC\triangle MNC we have that PK‾=12MC‾\overline{PK} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{MC} and PK∥MCPK \parallel MC.

Analogously, from △MH1C\triangle MH_1C we have that TR‾=12MC‾\overline{TR} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{MC} and TR∥MCTR \parallel MC. Consequently, PK‾=TR‾\overline{PK} = \overline{TR} and PK∥TRPK \parallel TR. Also OK‾∥DN‾\overline{OK} \parallel \overline{DN} (from △CDN\triangle CDN) and since DN‾⊥BC‾\overline{DN} \perp \overline{BC} and MH1‾⊥BC‾\overline{MH_1} \perp \overline{BC}, it follows that TH1‾∥OK‾\overline{TH_1} \parallel \overline{OK}. Since OO is the circumcenter of △CMN\triangle CMN, OP‾⊥MN‾\overline{OP} \perp \overline{MN}. Thus, CH1⊥MNCH_1 \perp MN implies OP‾∥CH1\overline{OP} \parallel CH_1. We conclude △TRH1≅△KPO\triangle TRH_1 \cong \triangle KPO (they have parallel sides and TR‾=PK‾\overline{TR} = \overline{PK}), hence RH1‾=PO‾\overline{RH_1} = \overline{PO}, i.e. CH1‾=2PO‾\overline{CH_1} = 2\overline{PO} and CH1∥POCH_1 \parallel PO.

Analogously, DH2‾=2PO‾\overline{DH_2} = 2\overline{PO} and DH2∥PODH_2 \parallel PO. From CH1‾=2PO‾=DH2‾\overline{CH_1} = 2\overline{PO} = \overline{DH_2} and CH1∥PO∥DH2CH_1 \parallel PO \parallel DH_2 the quadrilateral CH1H2DCH_1H_2D is a parallelogram, thus H1H2‾=CD‾\overline{H_1H_2} = \overline{CD} and H1H2∥CDH_1H_2 \parallel CD. Therefore the area of the quadrilateral AH1BH2AH_1BH_2 is AB‾⋅H1H2‾2=AB‾⋅CD‾2=S\frac{\overline{AB} \cdot \overline{H_1H_2}}{2} = \frac{\overline{AB} \cdot \overline{CD}}{2} = S.

Solution 2

Since MH1∥DNMH_1 \parallel DN and NH1∥DMNH_1 \parallel DM, MDNH1MDNH_1 is a parallelogram. Similarly, NH2∥CMNH_2 \parallel CM and MH2∥CNMH_2 \parallel CN imply MCNH2MCNH_2 is a parallelogram. Let PP be the midpoint of the segment MNMN. Then σP(D)=H1\sigma_P(D) = H_1 and σP(C)=H2\sigma_P(C) = H_2, thus CD∥H1H2CD \parallel H_1H_2 and CD‾=H1H2‾\overline{CD} = \overline{H_1H_2}. From CD⊥ABCD \perp AB we deduce AAH1BH2=12AB‾⋅CD‾=SA_{AH_1BH_2} = \frac{1}{2} \overline{AB} \cdot \overline{CD} = S.

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