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, 2012

Geometry Difficulty 6.1 National olympiad Prove it Belarus

Let Γ\Gamma be the incircle of a none-isosceles triangle ABCABC, II be its center. Let A1A_1, B1B_1, C1C_1 be the tangency points of Γ\Gamma with the sides BCBC, ACAC, ABAB, respectively. Let A2=ΓAA1A_2 = \Gamma \cap AA_1, M=C1B1AIM = C_1B_1 \cap AI, PP and QQ be the other (different from A1A_1, A2A_2) intersection points of A1MA_1M, A2MA_2M and Γ\Gamma, respectively.
Prove that AA, PP, QQ are collinear.

Solution

We first show that the quadrilateral A1IMA2A_1IMA_2 is cyclic. Indeed, C1B1AIC_1B_1 \perp AI and IC1ABIC_1 \perp AB. So, C1MC_1M is an altitude in the right-angled triangle AIC1AIC_1, whence AMAI=AC12AM \cdot AI = AC_1^2. Further, by the power of a point theorem, AC12=A2AAA1AC_1^2 = A_2A \cdot AA_1. So,
AMAI=AC12=A2AAA1, AM \cdot AI = AC_1^2 = A_2A \cdot AA_1,
hence A1IMA2A_1IMA_2 is cyclic. Therefore, IMA1=IA2A1\angle IMA_1 = \angle IA_2A_1, A2MI+IA1A2=180\angle A_2MI + \angle IA_1A_2 = 180^\circ. Since IA2=IA1IA_2 = IA_1 we have IA2A1=IMA1\angle IA_2A_1 = \angle IMA_1. Hence,
QMI=180A2MI=IA1A2=IA2A1=IMA1.(1) \angle QMI = 180^\circ - \angle A_2MI = \angle IA_1A_2 = \angle IA_2A_1 = \angle IMA_1. \quad (1)
From (1) it follows that the symmetrical image of the line A2QA_2Q with respect to the line AIAI is PA1PA_1. Hence PP is the image of A2A_2 and QQ is the image of A1A_1. Therefore the line PQPQ is the image of A2A1A_2A_1 with respect to the line AIAI, thus the statement follows.

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