Let ABC be a triangle with incentre I such that AB<AC<BC. The second intersections of AI, BI and CI with the circumcircle of triangle ABC are MA, MB and MC, respectively. Lines AI and BC intersect at D and lines BMC and CMB intersect at X. Suppose the circumcircles of triangles XMBMC and XBC intersect again at S=X. Lines BX and CX intersect the circumcircle of triangle SXMA again at P=X and Q=X, respectively. Prove that the circumcentre of triangle SID lies on PQ.
Solution
Let O be the circumcentre of triangle ABC. First we note from standard properties of the Miquel point S, we have: ∙△SMCMB∼△SBC∼△SPQ;(∗) * I and S are inverses with respect to circle ABC; * ∠OSX=90∘. From the above we have △OMAI∼△OSMA and ∠MAPB=∠MASX=90∘+∠MASO=90∘+∠OMAI=∠MABA=∠CDA. Observe that ∠PMCMA=∠BMCMA=∠DAC and ∠MCMAB=∠ICD. Combining these with ∠MAPB=∠CDA shows MCPMAB∼ADCI. Therefore, we have BPMCB=IDAI. Similarly, CQMBC=IDAI. Thus we get BPMCB=CQMBC=IDAI.(**) Now, observe that ∠ICB=∠AMBMC and ∠CBI=∠MBMCA which gives that △IBC∼△AMCMB. This, combined with (**), is enough to show △DPQ∼△IBC by linearity, thus DQDP=ICIB. Combining △IBMC∼△ICMB with (***) shows IBMCP∼ICMBQ, thus IQIP=ICIB. Finally, we have that SQSP=SCSB=CMBBMC=ICIB from (*) and △IBMC∼△ICMB. Putting this together with above ratios, we have ICIB=DQDP=IQIP=SQSP which shows that circle SID is an Apollonius circle with respect to P and Q, giving the desired conclusion.
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