Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /92 of 106

Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it China

A convex hexagon is given in which any two opposite sides have the following property: the distance between their midpoints is 32\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} times the sum of their lengths. Prove that all the angles of the hexagon are equal.
(A convex hexagon ABCDEFABCDEF has three pairs of opposite sides: ABAB and DEDE, BCBC and EFEF, CDCD and FAFA.)

Solution

Proof I We first prove the following lemma.
Lemma Consider a triangle PQRPQR with QPR60\angle QPR \ge 60^\circ. Let LL be the midpoint of QRQR. Then PL32QRPL \le \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} QR. The equality holds if and only if the triangle PQRPQR is equilateral.
Proof of the lemma
Let SS be the point such that the triangle QRSQRS is equilateral, where the points PP and SS lie in the same half-plane bounded by the line QRQR.
Then the point PP lies inside the circumcircle (including the circumference of the circle) of the triangle QRSQRS, which lies inside the circle with center LL and radius 32QR\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} QR.
This completes the proof of the lemma.
The main diagonals of a convex hexagon form a triangle though the
Figure 1
Figure 2
Thus we may choose two of these three diagonals that form an angle greater than or equal to 6060^\circ. Without loss of generality, we may assume that the diagonals ADAD and BEBE of the given hexagon ABCDEFABCDEF satisfy APB60\angle APB \ge 60^\circ, where PP is the intersection of these two diagonals. Then, using the lemma, we obtain
MN=32(AB+DE)PM+PNMN, MN = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(AB + DE) \ge PM + PN \ge MN,
where MM and NN are the midpoints of ABAB and DEDE respectively. Thus it follows from the lemma that the triangles ABPABP and DEPDEP are equilateral.
Therefore the diagonal CFCF forms an angle greater than or equal to 6060^\circ with one of the diagonals ADAD and BEBE. Without loss of generality, we may assume that AQF60\angle AQF \ge 60^\circ, where QQ is the intersection of ADAD and CFCF. Arguing in the same way as above, we infer that the triangles AQFAQF and CQDCQD are equilateral. This implies that BRC=60\angle BRC = 60^\circ, where RR is the intersection of BEBE and CFCF. Using the same argument as above for the third time, we obtain that the triangles BCRBCR and EFREFR are equilateral.
This completes the proof.

Proof II Let ABCDEFABCDEF be the given hexagon and let a=AB\vec{a} = \vec{AB}, b=BC\vec{b} = \vec{BC}, ..., f=FA\vec{f} = \vec{FA}.
Figure 3
Let MM and NN be the midpoints of the sides ABAB and DEDE respectively. We have
MN=12a+b+c+12d and MN=12afe12d. \vec{MN} = \frac{1}{2}\vec{a} + \vec{b} + \vec{c} + \frac{1}{2}\vec{d} \text{ and } \vec{MN} = -\frac{1}{2}\vec{a} - \vec{f} - \vec{e} - \frac{1}{2}\vec{d}.
Thus we obtain
MN=12(b+cef).1 \vec{MN} = \frac{1}{2}(\vec{b} + \vec{c} - \vec{e} - \vec{f}). \qquad \textcircled{1}
From the given property, we have
MN=32(a+d)32ad.2 \vec{MN} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(|\mathbf{a}| + |\mathbf{d}|) \ge \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}|\mathbf{a} - \mathbf{d}|. \qquad \textcircled{2}
Set x=ad\mathbf{x} = \mathbf{a} - \mathbf{d}, y=cf\mathbf{y} = \mathbf{c} - \mathbf{f}, z=eb\mathbf{z} = \mathbf{e} - \mathbf{b}. From ① and ②, we obtain
yz3x.3 |\mathbf{y} - \mathbf{z}| \ge \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{x}|. \qquad \textcircled{3}
Similarly, we see that
zx3y,4 |\mathbf{z} - \mathbf{x}| \ge \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{y}|, \qquad \textcircled{4}
xy3z.5 |\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{y}| \ge \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{z}|. \qquad \textcircled{5}
Note that
3y22yz+z23x2, \textcircled{3} \Leftrightarrow |\mathbf{y}|^2 - 2\mathbf{y} \cdot \mathbf{z} + |\mathbf{z}|^2 \ge 3|\mathbf{x}|^2,
4z22zx+x23y2, \textcircled{4} \Leftrightarrow |\mathbf{z}|^2 - 2\mathbf{z} \cdot \mathbf{x} + |\mathbf{x}|^2 \ge 3|\mathbf{y}|^2,
5x22xy+y23z2. \textcircled{5} \Leftrightarrow |\mathbf{x}|^2 - 2\mathbf{x} \cdot \mathbf{y} + |\mathbf{y}|^2 \ge 3|\mathbf{z}|^2.
By adding up the last three inequalities, we obtain
x2y2z22yz2zx2xy0, - |\mathbf{x}|^2 - |\mathbf{y}|^2 - |\mathbf{z}|^2 - 2\mathbf{y} \cdot \mathbf{z} - 2\mathbf{z} \cdot \mathbf{x} - 2\mathbf{x} \cdot \mathbf{y} \ge 0,
or x+y+z20-|\mathbf{x} + \mathbf{y} + \mathbf{z}|^2 \ge 0. Thus x+y+z=0\mathbf{x} + \mathbf{y} + \mathbf{z} = 0 and the equality holds in every inequality above. Hence we conclude that
x+y+z=0, \mathbf{x} + \mathbf{y} + \mathbf{z} = 0,
yz=3x,adx, |\mathbf{y} - \mathbf{z}| = \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{x}|, \mathbf{a} \parallel \mathbf{d} \parallel \mathbf{x},
zx=3y,cfy, |\mathbf{z} - \mathbf{x}| = \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{y}|, \mathbf{c} \parallel \mathbf{f} \parallel \mathbf{y},
xy=3z,ebz. |\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{y}| = \sqrt{3} |\mathbf{z}|, \mathbf{e} \parallel \mathbf{b} \parallel \mathbf{z}.
Suppose that PQRPQR is the triangle such that PQ=x\vec{PQ} = \mathbf{x}, QR=y\vec{QR} = \mathbf{y}, RP=z\vec{RP} = \mathbf{z}. We may assume QPR60\angle QPR \ge 60^\circ, without loss of generality. Let LL be the midpoint of QRQR. Then PL=12zx=32y=32QRPL = \frac{1}{2}|\mathbf{z} - \mathbf{x}| = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}|\mathbf{y}| = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} QR. It follows from the lemma in Proof I that the triangle PQRPQR is equilateral. Thus we have ABC=BCD==FAB=120\angle ABC = \angle BCD = \dots = \angle FAB = 120^\circ.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.