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Geometry Difficulty 5.0 AIME Prove it Ukraine

In triangle ABCABC points MM and NN are the midpoints of BCBC and ACAC respectively. Inside this triangle point PP is chosen in such a way that BAP=PCA=MAC\angle BAP = \angle PCA = \angle MAC. Prove that PNA=AMB\angle PNA = \angle AMB.

Solution

It is easy to see that APC=180(PCA+PAC)=180BAC=ANM\angle APC = 180^\circ - (\angle PCA + \angle PAC) = 180^\circ - \angle BAC = \angle ANM, since MNABMN \parallel AB as the centerline of the triangle (fig.14).

We know that MAC=PCA\angle MAC = \angle PCA, and so MNAAPC\triangle MNA \sim \triangle APC. NN and KK are the midpoints of the respective sides in similar triangles, thus NKM=PNA\angle NKM = \angle PNA.

Now since KNBCKN \parallel BC, we have NKM=BMA=PNA\angle NKM = \angle BMA = \angle PNA, and we are done.

Figure 1

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