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Final Round of National Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 7.5 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Estonia

Malle drew a rhombus ABCDABCD and chose points EE and FF on sides ABAB and BCBC, respectively, such that the triangle DEFDEF is equilateral. Malle was very surprised when she discovered that there is another possibility to choose points EE and FF on sides ABAB and BCBC, respectively, such that DEFDEF is equilateral. What can be the measures of the angles of this rhombus?

Figure 1
Figure 17

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

There is clearly only one way to choose points EE and FF on sides ABAB and BCBC, respectively, such that EE and FF would be symmetrical with respect to the diagonal BDBD and ∠EDF=60∘\angle EDF = 60^\circ. Thus it is possible in Malle's rhombus to choose EE and FF asymmetrically with respect to diagonal BDBD such that triangle DEFDEF is equilateral; let us consider one of the possible setups. W.l.o.g., we can assume that ∣EB∣<∣BF∣|EB| < |BF| (otherwise we can switch the roles of AA and CC and the roles of EE and FF). Let α=∠BAD=∠BCD\alpha = \angle BAD = \angle BCD and β=∠AED\beta = \angle AED. Also let E′E' be the point symmetrical to EE with respect to diagonal BDBD (see fig. 17); then ∣DE′∣=∣DE∣=∣DF∣|DE'| = |DE| = |DF| gives that triangle E′DFE'DF

is isosceles and ∠BFD=∠FE′D=∠AED=β\angle BFD = \angle FE'D = \angle AED = \beta. Therefore
∠CDF=180∘−∠DCF−∠DFC=180∘−α−(180∘−β)=β−α. \angle CDF = 180^\circ - \angle DCF - \angle DFC = 180^\circ - \alpha - (180^\circ - \beta) = \beta - \alpha.
Now
180∘−α=∠ADC=∠ADE+∠EDF+∠FDC=(180∘−α−β)+60∘+(β−α)=240∘−2α. \begin{aligned} 180^\circ - \alpha &= \angle ADC = \angle ADE + \angle EDF + \angle FDC \\ &= (180^\circ - \alpha - \beta) + 60^\circ + (\beta - \alpha) = 240^\circ - 2\alpha. \end{aligned}
From here α=60∘\alpha = 60^\circ, that is the angles of the rhombus are 60∘60^\circ and 120∘120^\circ.

Figure 2
Figure 18

Solution 2

Let the first choices of Malle be E1E_1 and F1F_1 and second ones E2E_2 and F2F_2 (see fig. 18). As ∠E1DF1=60∘=∠E2DF2\angle E_1DF_1 = 60^\circ = \angle E_2DF_2 and ∣DE1∣=∣DF1∣|DE_1| = |DF_1| and ∣DE2∣=∣DF2∣|DE_2| = |DF_2|, the rotation of the plane by 60∘60^\circ around point DD that takes E1E_1 to F1F_1 must also take E2E_2 to F2F_2. The same rotation must then take the line E1E2E_1E_2 to F1F2F_1F_2 or line ABAB to line BCBC. Therefore ∠ABC=120∘\angle ABC = 120^\circ, thus the angles of the rhombus are 60∘60^\circ and 120∘120^\circ.

Figure 2
Figure 18

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