Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Spain

Let ABCDABCD be a cyclic quadrilateral inscribed in a circle γ\gamma. Let XX be a point on the extension of ACAC such that XBXB and XDXD are tangent to γ\gamma. The tangent at CC intersects XDXD at QQ. Let EE be the intersection of AQAQ with γ\gamma distinct from AA. Prove that lines ADAD, BEBE, and CQCQ are concurrent.

Solution

Suppose that ADAD intersects CQCQ at YY and ADAD intersects BEBE at ZZ. Since XADXDC\triangle XAD \sim \triangle XDC, then we have ADDC=XAXD=XAXB=ABBC\frac{AD}{DC} = \frac{XA}{XD} = \frac{XA}{XB} = \frac{AB}{BC}

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from which follows ABDC=BCADAB \cdot DC = BC \cdot AD. By Ptolemy's theorem,
ABDC=BCAD=CADB2DBAB=2DCCA AB \cdot DC = BC \cdot AD = \frac{CA \cdot DB}{2} \\ \Rightarrow \frac{DB}{AB} = \frac{2 DC}{CA}
Likewise,
CAED=CEAD=AEDC2DCCA=2EDAE CA \cdot ED = CE \cdot AD = \frac{AE \cdot DC}{2} \\ \Rightarrow \frac{DC}{CA} = \frac{2 ED}{AE}
Since YDCYCA\triangle YDC \sim \triangle YCA then we have YDYC=DCCA=YCYA\frac{YD}{YC} = \frac{DC}{CA} = \frac{YC}{YA}.
Figure 1
Thus, taking into account the preceding, we have
YDYA=YDYAYA2=(YCYA)2=(DCCA)2=(2EDAE)2 \frac{YD}{YA} = \frac{YD \cdot YA}{YA^2} = \left(\frac{YC}{YA}\right)^2 = \left(\frac{DC}{CA}\right)^2 = \left(\frac{2ED}{AE}\right)^2
Using the similar triangles ABZABZ and EDZEDZ, we get ZDZB=EDAB\frac{ZD}{ZB} = \frac{ED}{AB}. Likewise, using the similar triangles DBZDBZ and EAZEAZ we have ZAZB=EADB\frac{ZA}{ZB} = \frac{EA}{DB}. Thus,
ZDZA=EDDBEAAB=(2EDAE)2 \frac{ZD}{ZA} = \frac{ED \cdot DB}{EA \cdot AB} = \left(\frac{2ED}{AE}\right)^2
Finally, we have Y=ZY = Z on account of the preceding and we are done.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.