Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2015

Geometry Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Mongolia

A circle with center II is inscribed in a hexagon ABCDEFABCDEF. Let A,B,C,D,E,FA', B', C', D', E', F' be the midpoints of the diagonals BF,AC,BD,CE,DF,EABF, AC, BD, CE, DF, EA, respectively. Suppose that the lines AA,CC,EEAA', CC', EE' intersect at XX, the lines BB,DD,FFBB', DD', FF' intersect at YY. If the triangle residing between the lines AB,CD,EFAB, CD, EF is not similar to the triangle residing between the lines BC,DE,FABC, DE, FA, then prove that the points X,I,YX, I, Y are collinear.
(Batzaya G.)

Solution

First we prove the following lemma:

Lemma. Let ABCDEFABCDEF be a convex hexagon on the coordinate plane. Then the set of the points PP inside ABCDEFABCDEF such that
SAPB+SCPD+SEPF=SBPC+SDPE+SFPA, S_{APB} + S_{CPD} + S_{EPF} = S_{BPC} + S_{DPE} + S_{FPA},
is a segment.

Proof. Suppose that the equations of the lines containing the segments AB,BC,CD,DE,EF,FAAB, BC, CD, DE, EF, FA are aix+biy+ci=0a_i x + b_i y + c_i = 0 for some ai,bi,ciRa_i, b_i, c_i \in \mathbb{R} (i=1,,6i = 1, \dots, 6). Without loss of generality we can assume that aibi0a_i \cdot b_i \neq 0 for i=1,,6i = 1, \dots, 6. The distance from the point P(x0,y0)P(x_0, y_0) to the line aix+biy+ci=0a_i x + b_i y + c_i = 0 is
di=aix0+biy0+ciai2+bi2 d_i = \frac{|a_i x_0 + b_i y_0 + c_i|}{\sqrt{a_i^2 + b_i^2}}

di=aix0+biy0+ciai2+bi2(i=1,,6). d_i = \frac{a_i x_0 + b_i y_0 + c_i}{\sqrt{a_i^2 + b_i^2}} \quad (i = 1, \dots, 6).
We should find the set of the points P(x0,y0)P(x_0, y_0) such that
12ABd1+12CDd3+12EFd5=12BCd2+12DEd4+12FAd6. \frac{1}{2}AB \cdot d_1 + \frac{1}{2}CD \cdot d_3 + \frac{1}{2}EF \cdot d_5 = \frac{1}{2}BC \cdot d_2 + \frac{1}{2}DE \cdot d_4 + \frac{1}{2}FA \cdot d_6.
Observe that this is a linear equation with respect to x0x_0 and y0y_0 and therefore the set of the points P(x0,y0)P(x_0, y_0) is a segment. \square

Now we prove our problem. Since AA' is the midpoint of BFBF, SAXB=SAXFS_{A'XB} = S_{A'XF} and SAAB=SAAFS_{A'AB} = S_{A'AF}. Hence SAXB=SAXFS_{AXB} = S_{AXF}. Similarly, SBXC=SCXDS_{BXC} = S_{CXD} and SDXE=SEXFS_{DXE} = S_{EXF}. Hence
SAXB+SCXD+SEXF=SBXC+SDXE+SFXA. S_{AXB} + S_{CXD} + S_{EXF} = S_{BXC} + S_{DXE} + S_{FXA}.
In a similar way we can show that
SAYB+SCYD+SEYF=SBYC+SDYE+SFYA. S_{AYB} + S_{CYD} + S_{EYF} = S_{BYC} + S_{DYE} + S_{FYA}.
On the other hand, let Q1,Q2,,Q6Q_1, Q_2, \dots, Q_6 be the tangent points of the incircle to the sides AB,BC,CD,DE,EF,FAAB, BC, CD, DE, EF, FA respectively. Since Q1I=Q6I=rQ_1I = Q_6I = r, AQ1=AQ6AQ_1 = AQ_6, IQ1A=IQ6A\angle IQ_1A = \angle IQ_6A we get that AIQ1=AIQ6\triangle AIQ_1 = \triangle AIQ_6. Similarly BIQ1=BIQ2\triangle BIQ_1 = \triangle BIQ_2, CIQ2=CIQ3\triangle CIQ_2 = \triangle CIQ_3, DIQ3=DIQ4\triangle DIQ_3 = \triangle DIQ_4, EIQ4=EIQ5\triangle EIQ_4 = \triangle EIQ_5, FIQ5=FIQ6\triangle FIQ_5 = \triangle FIQ_6. Hence
SAIB+SCID+SEIF=SBIC+SDIE+SFIA. S_{AIB} + S_{CID} + S_{EIF} = S_{BIC} + S_{DIE} + S_{FIA}.

Therefore the points X,Y,IX, Y, I are collinear, because of the lemma we proved above.

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