Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 4.7 AIME Prove it United States

Problem:

Let ABCDABCD be a trapezoid with ABCDAB \parallel CD. Let MM and NN be the respective midpoints of ABAB and CDCD. Diagonals ACAC and BDBD meet at PP, and lines ADAD and BCBC meet at QQ. Prove that MM, NN, PP, and QQ are collinear.

Solution

Solution:

Note that QABQDC\triangle QAB \sim \triangle QDC (by corresponding angles). Since QMQM and QNQN are corresponding medians, we have AQM=DQN\angle AQ M = \angle DQ N and hence QQ, MM, and NN are collinear.

Figure 1

Similarly, note that PABPCD\triangle PAB \sim \triangle PCD. Since PMPM and PNPN are corresponding medians, we have APM=CPN\angle AP M = \angle CP N and hence PP, MM, and NN are collinear. Since PP and QQ lie on line MNMN, all four of these points are collinear.

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