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Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it China

Six points are chosen on the sides of an equilateral triangle ABCABC: A1,A2A_1, A_2 on BCBC, B1,B2B_1, B_2 on CACA, and C1,C2C_1, C_2 on ABAB. These points are the vertices of a convex hexagon A1A2B1B2C1C2A_1A_2B_1B_2C_1C_2 with sides of equal length. Prove that the lines A1B2A_1B_2, B1C2B_1C_2 and C1A2C_1A_2 are concurrent. (proposed by Romania, average score 2.61.)

Solution

Assume A1A2=dA_1A_2 = d, and AB=aAB = a. Construct an equilateral triangle A0B0C0A_0B_0C_0 with side of length ada-d. Points A,B,CA', B', C' are chosen on the sides of triangle A0B0C0A_0B_0C_0 such that AC0=A2CA'C_0 = A_2C, BA0=B2AB'A_0 = B_2A, and CB0=C2BC'B_0 = C_2B.

Therefore,
AB0=adAC0=BCA1A2A2C=BA1 A'B_0 = a-d-A'C_0 = BC-A_1A_2-A_2C = BA_1

BC0=B1C,CA0=C1A. B'C_0 = B_1C, \quad C'A_0 = C_1A.
Since
B1CA2=BC0A,B2AC1=BA0C,C2BA1=CB0A, \angle B_1CA_2 = \angle B'C_0A', \quad \angle B_2AC_1 = \angle B'A_0C', \quad \angle C_2BA_1 = \angle C'B_0A',
thus
CB1A2C0BA,AB2C1A0BC,C2BA1B0CA, \triangle CB_1A_2 \cong \triangle C_0B'A', \quad \triangle AB_2C_1 \cong \triangle A_0B'C', \quad \triangle C_2BA_1 \cong \triangle B_0C'A',
which implies that BC=CA=AB=dB'C' = C'A' = A'B' = d and triangle ABCA'B'C' is equilateral.
So
AB2C1=A0BC=180CBAABC0=120ABC0,C1B2B1=B1A2A1. \angle AB_2C_1 = \angle A_0B'C' = 180^\circ - \angle C'B'A' - \angle A'B'C_0 = 120^\circ - \angle A'B'C_0, \quad \angle C_1B_2B_1 = \angle B_1A_2A_1.
In view of B2C1=B1B2=A2B1=A1A2=dB_2C_1 = B_1B_2 = A_2B_1 = A_1A_2 = d, triangles C1B2B1C_1B_2B_1 and B1B2A1B_1B_2A_1 are congruent, implying that B1C1=A1B1B_1C_1 = A_1B_1. Together with C1C2=A1C2C_1C_2 = A_1C_2, we show that C2B1C_2B_1 is the perpendicular bisector of A1C1A_1C_1 and C2B1C_2B_1 is the height of triangle A1B1C1A_1B_1C_1 on side A1C1A_1C_1. Similarly, C1A2C_1A_2 and A1B2A_1B_2 are the altitudes of triangle A1B1C1A_1B_1C_1 to the sides A1B1A_1B_1 and B1C1B_1C_1 respectively.

Therefore the lines A1B2A_1B_2, B1C2B_1C_2 and C1A2C_1A_2 are concurrent.

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