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Geometry Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let A1A2AnA_1A_2\cdots A_n be a convex polygon. Point PP is a point inside this polygon, and its projections onto A1A2,,AnA1A_1A_2, \cdots, A_nA_1 are respectively P1,,PnP_1, \cdots, P_n, where P1,,PnP_1, \cdots, P_n lie respectively within the segments A1A2,,AnA1A_1A_2, \cdots, A_nA_1. Prove that: for any points X1,,XnX_1, \cdots, X_n lying respectively within the segments A1A2,,AnA1A_1A_2, \cdots, A_nA_1, it satisfies
max{X1X2P1P2++XnX1PnP1}1. \max \left\{ \frac{X_1X_2}{P_1P_2} + \cdots + \frac{X_nX_1}{P_nP_1} \right\} \ge 1.

Solution

Denote Pn+1=P1P_{n+1} = P_1, Xn+1=X1X_{n+1} = X_1, An+1=A1A_{n+1} = A_1.

Lemma: Let QQ be a point inside A1A2AnA_1A_2\cdots A_n. Then QQ must lie inside one of the circumscribed circles of the triangles X1A2X2,,XnA1X1X_1A_2X_2, \cdots, X_nA_1X_1.

Proof: If QQ lies in one of the triangles X1A2X2,,XnA1X1X_1A_2X_2, \cdots, X_nA_1X_1, then the conclusion clearly holds. Otherwise QQ lies inside the polygon A1A2AnA_1A_2\cdots A_n (as in Figure 1). Then
(X1A2X2+X1QX2)++(XnA1X1+XnQX1)=(X1A1X2++XnA1X1)++(X1QX2++XnQX1)=(n2)π+2π=nπ, \begin{aligned} & (\angle X_1 A_2 X_2 + \angle X_1 Q X_2) + \cdots + (\angle X_n A_1 X_1 + \angle X_n Q X_1) \\ &= (\angle X_1 A_1 X_2 + \cdots + \angle X_n A_1 X_1) + \cdots + (\angle X_1 Q X_2 + \cdots + \angle X_n Q X_1) \\ &= (n-2)\pi + 2\pi = n\pi, \end{aligned}
therefore there exists an index ii such that
XiAi+1Xi+1+XiQXi+1nπn=π. \angle X_i A_{i+1} X_{i+1} + \angle X_i Q X_{i+1} \ge \frac{n\pi}{n} = \pi.
Since the quadrilateral QXiAi+1Xi+1QX_iA_{i+1}X_{i+1} is convex, this means that QQ lies inside the circumscribed circle of ΔXiAi+1Xi+1\Delta X_iA_{i+1}X_{i+1}.

Applying the above lemma, PP lies inside the circumscribed circle of some ΔXiAi+1Xi+1\Delta X_iA_{i+1}X_{i+1}.

Consider respectively the circumscribed circles ω\omega and Ω\Omega of ΔPiAi+1Pi+1\Delta P_iA_{i+1}P_{i+1} and ΔXiAi+1Xi+1\Delta X_iA_{i+1}X_{i+1} (as in Figure 2); let rr and RR be their radii respectively. Then we obtain
2r=Ai+1P2R (since P lies inside Ω), 2r = A_{i+1}P \le 2R \text{ (since $P$ lies inside $\Omega$)},
hence
PiPi+1=2rsinPiAi+1Pi+12RsinXiAi+1Xi+1=XiXi+1. P_i P_{i+1} = 2r \sin \angle P_i A_{i+1} P_{i+1} \le 2R \sin \angle X_i A_{i+1} X_{i+1} = X_i X_{i+1}.

Figure 1
Fig. 1
Figure 2
Fig. 2

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