Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Slovenia

Let ABAB be the longest side of the triangle ABCABC. Let MM and NN denote the points on the side ABAB, such that AM=AC|AM| = |AC| and BN=BC|BN| = |BC|. Denote the midpoints of the segments MCMC and NCNC by PP and RR. The incircle of the triangle ABCABC touches the sides BCBC and ACAC at DD and EE. Prove that the points P,R,DP, R, D and EE are concyclic.

Solution

Let II be the incentre of the triangle ABCABC.

Figure 1

Triangle AMC is isosceles with the apex at A, so the line AP is the altitude to the base and at the same time the bisector of the angle MAC\angle MAC. It follows that II lies on APAP. Similarly, II lies on the line BRBR. This implies that CPI=CPA=π/2\angle CPI = \angle CPA = \pi/2 and IRC=BRC=π/2\angle IRC = \angle BRC = \pi/2, so the points PP and RR lie on the circle with diameter CICI. Since DD and EE are the points where the incircle touches the sides of the triangle, we have CDI=IEC=π/2\angle CDI = \angle IEC = \pi/2, and DD and EE therefore lie on the circle with diameter CICI. We have shown that the points PP, RR, DD and EE are concyclic.

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