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Geometry Difficulty 8.9 Shortlist Prove it Taiwan

Let ABCABC be an acute-angled triangle with circumcircle ω\omega. A circle Γ\Gamma is internally tangent to ω\omega at AA and also tangent to BCBC at DD. Let ABAB and ACAC intersect Γ\Gamma at PP and QQ respectively. Let MM and NN be points on line BCBC such that BB is the midpoint of DMDM and CC is the midpoint of DNDN. Lines MPMP and NQNQ meet at KK and intersect Γ\Gamma again at II and JJ respectively. The ray KAKA meets the circumcircle of triangle IJKIJK at XKX \neq K. Prove that BXP=CXQ\angle BXP = \angle CXQ.

Solution

Let MPMP and NQNQ intersect ADAD at K1K_1 and K2K_2 respectively. By applying Menelaus' theorem to triangle ABDABD and line MPK1MPK_1, we have
AK1K1D=APPBBMMD=AP2PB \frac{AK_1}{K_1D} = \frac{AP}{PB} \cdot \frac{BM}{MD} = \frac{AP}{2PB}
and similarly AK2K2D=AQ2QC\frac{AK_2}{K_2D} = \frac{AQ}{2QC}. A homothety at AA takes Γω\Gamma \to \omega and DD to the midpoint of arc BCBC not containing AA, so PQBCPQ \parallel BC and ADAD bisects BACBAC. Thus
AK1K1D=AP2PB=AQ2QC=AK2K2D \frac{AK_1}{K_1D} = \frac{AP}{2PB} = \frac{AQ}{2QC} = \frac{AK_2}{K_2D}
which implies K1=K2K_1 = K_2, and KK lies on ADAD. Then we obtain
JXD=JXK=JIK=JIP=JQP=JND \angle JXD = \angle JXK = \angle JIK = \angle JIP = \angle JQP = \angle JND
where the last equality follows from PQBCPQ \parallel BC. This shows JXNDJXND is cyclic and hence
DXN=DJN=DJQ=DAQ=DAC \angle DXN = \angle DJN = \angle DJQ = \angle DAQ = \angle DAC
which shows ACXNAC \parallel XN. As CC is the midpoint of DNDN, AA is the midpoint of XDXD.

Now observe that ADP=AQP=ACB\angle ADP = \angle AQP = \angle ACB and PAD=DAC=A2\angle PAD = \angle DAC = \frac{\angle A}{2} so triangle APDAPD and ADCADC are similar. Therefore we have
CDDP=ADAP=XAAP \frac{CD}{DP} = \frac{AD}{AP} = \frac{XA}{AP}
and also have
CDP=180PDB=180PAD=XAP. \angle CDP = 180^\circ - \angle PDB = 180^\circ - \angle PAD = \angle XAP.
Combining the two results gives triangles PDCPDC and PAXPAX are similar, which shows PP is the centre of spiral similarity taking CDXACD \to XA. Hence also triangles PXCPXC and PADPAD are similar which shows PXC=PAD=A2\angle PXC = \angle PAD = \frac{\angle A}{2}. This gives
BXP=BXCPXC=BXCA2 \angle BXP = \angle BXC - \angle PXC = \angle BXC - \frac{\angle A}{2}
which is symmetric in B,CB, C giving the result.

Figure 1

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.