Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Argentina

Let ABCDABCD be a trapezoid with ABCDAB \parallel CD, AB>CDAB > CD, and such that BC=CD=DABC = CD = DA. Points EE and FF divide ABAB into three equal parts; EE is between AA and FF. Lines CFCF and DEDE intersect at PP. Prove that APB=DAB\angle APB = \angle DAB.

Solution

Extend PAPA and PBPB to meet CDCD at XX and YY respectively. Since XYABXY \parallel AB, Thales' theorem yields XDAE=PDPE=CDFE\frac{XD}{AE} = \frac{PD}{PE} = \frac{CD}{FE}. Also AE=FEAE = FE, so XD=CDXD = CD, i.e. DD is the midpoint of XCXC. In addition CD=DACD = DA, hence DA=DX=DCDA = DX = DC. Thus triangle XCAXCA is right at AA, so that PAACPA \perp AC. By symmetry PBBDPB \perp BD. Let OO be the circumcenter of ABCDABCD (an isosceles trapezoid is cyclic). Then OO and DD are both equidistant from AA and CC, hence ODOD is the perpendicular bisector of segment ACAC. In particular ODACOD \perp AC and likewise OCBDOC \perp BD.

Figure 1

Now PAACPA \perp AC, PBBDPB \perp BD yield PAODPA \parallel OD; likewise PBOCPB \parallel OC. Hence APB=DOC\angle APB = \angle DOC. Note that AA and OO are on the same side of chord CDCD in the circumcircle, hence DOC=2DAC\angle DOC = 2\angle DAC. Note also that ACAC is the bisector of DAB\angle DAB because CD=CBCD = CB due to CD=CBCD = CB. It follows that DAB=2DAC=DOC\angle DAB = 2\angle DAC = \angle DOC and APB=DOC=DAB\angle APB = \angle DOC = \angle DAB.

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