Maths Olympiad Prep

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Vijetnam, 2011

Geometry Difficulty 7.3 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Vietnam

A triangle ABCABC is not isosceles at AA, and its angles ∠ABC\angle ABC, ∠ACB\angle ACB are acute. Consider a point DD moving on edge BCBC, so that DD does not coincide with BB, CC and with the perpendicular projection of AA on BCBC. The line dd, perpendicular with BCBC at DD, intersects the lines ABAB and ACAC at EE and FF, respectively. Let MM, NN, and PP be the incenters of the triangles AEFAEF, BDEBDE and CDFCDF, respectively. Show that four points A,M,N,PA, M, N, P lie on one circle if and only if the line dd passes through the incenter of triangle ABCABC.

Solution

Since ∠ABC\angle ABC and ∠ACB\angle ACB are acute, EE lies on the opposite ray to ray ABAB on the edge ABAB, at the same time, FF lies on the edge ACAC or on the opposite ray to ray ACAC. Hence, it follows from the definition of the points M,N,PM, N, P that E,M,NE, M, N are collinear and M,F,PM, F, P are collinear.
Hence ∠NMP=12(∠AEF+∠AFE)=12∠BAC\angle NMP = \frac{1}{2}(\angle AEF + \angle AFE) = \frac{1}{2}\angle BAC.
Consequently: A,M,N,PA, M, N, P lie on a circle if and only if ∠NAP=12∠BAC\angle NAP = \frac{1}{2}\angle BAC. (1)

Further we will show
∠NAP=12∠BAC\angle NAP = \frac{1}{2}\angle BAC if and only if dd passes through the center II of the inscribed circle of triangle ABCABC. (2)

Without loss of generality, assume that AB<ACAB < AC. (3)

* The necessary condition: Assume that I∈dI \in d. Then, it follows from (3) that EE lies on the opposite ray to ray ABAB and FF lies on edge ACAC.
Draw line AxAx (distinct from ACAC) tangent to (P)(P). We will show that AxAx is tangent to (N)(N).
Indeed, let T,T1,T2,T3T, T_1, T_2, T_3 be the tangent points of (P)(P) with Ax,CD,DF,FCAx, CD, DF, FC. Let SS be the intersection of AxAx and DFDF. We have: AT=AT3,CT3=CT1,DT1=DT2AT = AT_3, CT_3 = CT_1, DT_1 = DT_2 and ST2=STST_2 = ST.
Hence AS−SD=(AT−ST)−(DT2−ST2)=AT3−DT1=AC−CD.(4) \text{Hence } AS - SD = (AT - ST) - (DT_2 - ST_2) = AT_3 - DT_1 = AC - CD. \quad (4)
Since I∈dI \in d, DD is the tangent point of (I)(I) and BCBC. Consequently AC−CD=AB−BDAC - CD = AB - BD. (5)

It follows from (4) and (5) that AS+BD=AB+SDAS + BD = AB + SD. Thus ABDSABDS is a cyclic quadrilateral.
Consequently AxAx is tangent to (N)(N).
Hence, we have NAP‾=NAx‾+xAP‾=12BAx‾+12xAC‾=12BAC‾\overline{NAP} = \overline{NAx} + \overline{xAP} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{BAx} + \frac{1}{2}\overline{xAC} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{BAC}.

* Sufficient condition: Assume NAP‾=12BAC‾\overline{NAP} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{BAC}. Consider the following two cases:

- Case 1: EE lies in the opposite ray to ray ABAB and FF lies on edge ACAC.
Draw the tangent AxAx (distinct from ACAC) to (P)(P), which intersects DFDF at SS. We have
NAx‾=NAP‾−xAP‾=12BAC‾−12xAC‾=12BAx‾. \overline{NAx} = \overline{NAP} - \overline{xAP} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{BAC} - \frac{1}{2}\overline{xAC} = \frac{1}{2}\overline{BAx}.
Consequently, AxAx is tangent to (N)(N). Hence ABDSABDS is a tangent quadrilateral. Consequently
AS+BD=AB+SD. AS + BD = AB + SD.
Moreover, according to the proof of the previous part, we have AS−SD=AC−CDAS - SD = AC - CD. (See (4)).
Hence we obtain BD=AB+CD−ACBD = AB + CD - AC. Consequently 2BD=AB+BC−AC2BD = AB + BC - AC.
Hence BD=p−bBD = p - b, where p=AB+BC+CA2p = \frac{AB + BC + CA}{2} and b=ACb = AC.
Consequently BD=BKBD = BK, where KK is the tangent point of (I)(I) and edge BCBC.
Hence D≡KD \equiv K, as DD and KK both lie on edge BCBC. Thus I∈dI \in d.

- Case 2: EE lies on edge ABAB and FF lies on the opposite ray to ray ACAC.
Then, by means of (3), CD>CKCD > CK. (*)
On the other hand, in this case BB plays the role of CC and CC plays the role of BB, EE plays the role of FF and FF plays the role of EE, (N)(N) plays the role of (P)(P) and (P)(P) plays the role of (N)(N) of the previous case. Thus, according to the above proof, we have CD=CKCD = CK, contradicting (*). The obtained contradiction shows that this case cannot happen.

Thus (2) is verified. It follows from (1) and (2) the claim of the problem

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