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Geometry Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it United States

Let ABCABC be a triangle with incenter II, and let DD be a point on line BCBC satisfying AID=90\angle AID = 90^\circ. Let the excircle of triangle ABCABC opposite the vertex AA be tangent to BC\overline{BC} at point A1A_1. Define points B1B_1 on CA\overline{CA} and C1C_1 on AB\overline{AB} analogously, using the excircles opposite BB and CC, respectively.
Prove that if quadrilateral AB1A1C1AB_1A_1C_1 is cyclic, then AD\overline{AD} is tangent to the circumcircle of DB1C1\triangle DB_1C_1.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

First solution using spiral similarity (Ankan Bhattacharya) First, we prove the part of the problem which does not depend on the condition AB1A1C1AB_1A_1C_1 is cyclic.

Lemma
Let ABCABC be a triangle and define I,D,B1,C1I, D, B_1, C_1 as in the problem. Moreover, let MM denote the midpoint of AD\overline{AD}. Then AD\overline{AD} is tangent to (AB1C1)(AB_1C_1), and moreover B1C1IM\overline{B_1C_1} \parallel \overline{IM}.

Proof. Let EE and FF be the tangency points of the incircle. Denote by ZZ the Miquel point of BFECBFEC, i.e. the second intersection of the circle with diameter AI\overline{AI} and the circumcircle. Note that A,Z,DA, Z, D are collinear, by radical axis on (ABC),(AFIE),(BIC)(ABC), (AFIE), (BIC).

Figure 1

Then the spiral similarity gives us
ZFZE=BFCE=AC1AB1 \frac{ZF}{ZE} = \frac{BF}{CE} = \frac{AC_1}{AB_1}
which together with FZE=FAE=BAC\angle FZE = \angle FAE = \angle BAC implies that ZFE\triangle ZFE and AC1B1\triangle AC_1B_1 are (directly) similar. (See IMO Shortlist 2006 G9 for a similar application of spiral similarity.)

Now the remainder of the proof is just angle chasing. First, since
DAC1=ZAF=ZEF=AB1C1 \angle DAC_1 = \angle ZAF = \angle ZEF = \angle AB_1C_1
we have AD\overline{AD} is tangent to (AB1C1)(AB_1C_1). Moreover, to see that IMB1C1\overline{IM} \parallel \overline{B_1C_1}, write
(AI,B1C1)=IAC+AB1C1=BAI+ZEF=FAI+ZAF=ZAI=MAI=AIM \begin{aligned} \angle(\overline{AI}, \overline{B_1C_1}) &= \angle IAC + \angle AB_1C_1 = \angle BAI + \angle ZEF = \angle FAI + \angle ZAF \\ &= \angle ZAI = \angle MAI = \angle AIM \end{aligned}
the last step since AID\triangle AID is right with hypotenuse AD\overline{AD}, and median IM\overline{IM}. \square

Now we return to the present problem with the additional condition.

Figure 2

Claim. Given the condition, we actually have AB1A1=AC1A1=90\angle AB_1A_1 = \angle AC_1A_1 = 90^\circ.

Proof. Let IA,IBI_A, I_B and ICI_C be the excenters of ABC\triangle ABC. Then the perpendiculars to BC\overline{BC}, CA\overline{CA}, AB\overline{AB} from A1,B1,C1A_1, B_1, C_1 respectively meet at the so-called Bevan point VV (which is the circumcenter of IAIBIC\triangle I_A I_B I_C).

Now AB1C1\triangle AB_1C_1 has circumdiameter AV\overline{AV}. We are given A1A_1 lies on this circle, so if VA1V \neq A_1 then AA1A1V\overline{AA_1} \perp \overline{A_1V}. But A1VBC\overline{A_1V} \perp \overline{BC} by definition, which would imply AA1BC\overline{AA_1} \parallel \overline{BC}, which is absurd. \square

Claim. Given the condition the points B1,I,C1B_1, I, C_1 are collinear (hence with MM).

Proof. By Pappus theorem on IBA1IC\overline{IB}A_1I_C and BA1C\overline{BA_1C} after the previous claim. \square

To finish, since DMA\overline{DMA} was tangent to the circumcircle of AB1C1\triangle AB_1C_1, we have MD2=MA2=MC1MB1MD^2 = MA^2 = MC_1 \cdot MB_1, implying the required tangency.

Solution 2

Second solution by inversion and mixtilinears (Anant Mudgal) As in the end of the preceding solution, we have AB1A1=AC1A1=90\angle AB_1A_1 = \angle AC_1A_1 = 90^\circ and IB1C1I \in \overline{B_1C_1}. Let MM be the midpoint of minor arc BCBC and NN be the midpoint of arc BAC^\widehat{BAC}. Let LL be the intouch point on BC\overline{BC}. Let OO be the circumcenter of ABC\triangle ABC. Let K=AIBCK = \overline{AI} \cap \overline{BC}.

Figure 3

Claim. We have (AI,B1C1)=IAD\angle(\overline{AI}, \overline{B_1C_1}) = \angle IAD.

Proof. Let ZZ lie on (ABC)(ABC) with AZI=90\angle AZI = 90^\circ. By radical axis theorem on (AIZ),(BIC)(AIZ), (BIC), and (ABC)(ABC), we conclude that DD lies on AZ\overline{AZ}. Let NI\overline{NI} meet (ABC)(ABC) again at TNT \neq N.

Inversion in (BIC)(BIC) maps AI\overline{AI} to KI\overline{KI} and (ABC)(ABC) to BC\overline{BC}. Thus, ZZ maps to LL, so Z,L,MZ, L, M are collinear. Since BL=CVBL = CV and OI=OVOI = OV, we see that MLINMLIN is a trapezoid with ILMN\overline{IL} \parallel \overline{MN}. Thus, ZTMN\overline{ZT} \parallel \overline{MN}.

It is known that AT\overline{AT} and AA1\overline{AA_1} are isogonal in angle BACBAC. Since AV\overline{AV} is a circumdiameter in (AB1C1)(AB_1C_1), so ATB1C1\overline{AT} \perp \overline{B_1C_1}. So ZAI=NMT=90TAI=(AI,B1C1)\angle ZAI = \angle NMT = 90^\circ - \angle TAI = \angle(\overline{AI}, \overline{B_1C_1}). \square

Let XX be the midpoint of AD\overline{AD} and GG be the reflection of II in XX. Since AIDGAIDG is a rectangle, we have AIG=ZAI=(AI,B1C1)\angle AIG = \angle ZAI = \angle (AI, \overline{B_1C_1}), by the previous claim. So IG\overline{IG} coincides with B1C1\overline{B_1C_1}. Now AIAI bisects B1AC1\angle B_1AC_1 and IAG=90\angle IAG = 90^\circ, so (IG;B1C1)=1(\overline{IG}; \overline{B_1C_1}) = -1.

Since IDG=90\angle IDG = 90^\circ, we see that DI\overline{DI} and DG\overline{DG} are bisectors of angle B1DC1B_1DC_1. Now XDI=XID    XDC1=XIDIDB1=DB1C1\angle XDI = \angle XID \implies \angle XDC_1 = \angle XID - \angle IDB_1 = \angle DB_1C_1, so XD\overline{XD} is tangent to (DB1C1)(DB_1C_1).

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