GeometryDifficulty 7.6National Olympiad, round 2Prove itRomanian Master of Mathematics (RMM)
Problem:
Let T1, T2, T3, T4 be pairwise distinct collinear points such that T2 lies between T1 and T3, and T3 lies between T2 and T4. Let ω1 be a circle through T1 and T4; let ω2 be the circle through T2 and internally tangent to ω1 at T1; let ω3 be the circle through T3 and externally tangent to ω2 at T2; and let ω4 be the circle through T4 and externally tangent to ω3 at T3. A line crosses ω1 at P and W, ω2 at Q and R, ω3 at S and T, and ω4 at U and V, the order of these points along the line being P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W. Prove that PQ+TU=RS+VW.
Solution
Solution:
Let Oi be the centre of ωi, i=1,2,3,4. Notice that the isosceles triangles OiTiTi−1 are similar (indices are reduced modulo 4), to infer that ω4 is internally tangent to ω1 at T4, and O1O2O3O4 is a (possibly degenerate) parallelogram.
Let Fi be the foot of the perpendicular from Oi to PW. The Fi clearly bisect the segments PW, QR, ST and UV, respectively.
The proof can now be concluded in two similar ways.
First Approach. Since O1O2O3O4 is a parallelogram, F1F2+F3F4=0 and F2F3+F4F1=0; this still holds in the degenerate case, for if the Oi are collinear, then they all lie on the line T1T4, and each Oi is the midpoint of the segment TiTi+1. Consequently,
Alternatively, but equivalently, PQ+TU=RS+VW, as required.
Second Approach. This is merely another way of reading the previous argument. Fix an orientation of the line PW, say, from P towards W, and use a lower case letter to denote the coordinate of a point labelled by the corresponding upper case letter.
Since the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect one another, f1+f3=f2+f4, the common value being twice the coordinate of the projection to PW of the point where O1O3 and O2O4 cross; the relation clearly holds in the degenerate case as well.
Plug f1=21(p+w), f2=21(q+r), f3=21(s+t) and f4=21(u+v) into the above equality to get p+w+s+t=q+r+u+v. Alternatively, but equivalently, (q−p)+(u−t)=(s−r)+(w−v), that is, PQ+TU=RS+VW, as required.
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