Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 7.8 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it United States

Problem:

Consider ABC\triangle A B C. Choose a point MM on its side BCB C and let OO be the center of the circle passing through the vertices of ABM\triangle A B M. Let kk be the circle that passes through AA and MM and whose center lies on line BCB C. Let line MOM O intersect kk again in point KK. Prove that the line BKB K is the same for any choice of point MM on segment BCB C, so long as all of these constructions are well-defined.

Solution

Solution:

Let DD be the reflection of AA across side BCB C, which clearly lies on kk. Let KK' be the point where lines BDB D and MOM O intersect. We will eventually show that K=KK' = K. Then KK lies on line BDB D, which is therefore the same as line BKB K. Since BB and DD don't depend on the choice of MM, this proves that the line BKB K does not depend on MM, if all of the constructions are well-defined. One possible configuration is illustrated below. Notice that we cannot have M=BM = B, because then the circumcenter OO of triangle ABM\triangle A B M would not be well-defined (we will need this later).

Figure 1

We first show that AMO=BDA\angle A M O = \angle B D A, by focusing on the circumcircle of ABM\triangle A B M, as illustrated below. Let LL be the point diametrically opposite MM. Then LAM\angle L A M is right and thus AMO=90ALM\angle A M O = 90^{\circ} - \angle A L M. Since ADBMA D \perp B M, we have BDA=BAD=90ABM\angle B D A = \angle B A D = 90^{\circ} - \angle A B M. But the angles ABM\angle A B M and ALM\angle A L M subtend the same arc, so ABM=ALM\angle A B M = \angle A L M and thus BDA=AMO\angle B D A = \angle A M O, as desired.

Figure 2

We will now show that the points A,D,MA, D, M, and KK' are concyclic. Recall the following theorem.
A convex quadrilateral EFGHE F G H is cyclic if either of the following are true:
(1) EFG+EHG=180\angle E F G + \angle E H G = 180^{\circ}.
(2) EGF=EHF\angle E G F = \angle E H F.
We will apply this theorem to four separate cases, illustrated below.

Figure 3
(a.i)
Figure 4
(b.i)
Figure 5
(b.ii)

(a) Suppose that MM lies to the right of ADA D. Then OO and KK' are on the same side of MM.

i. If BB and KK' are on the same side of DD, then AMK=AMO=ADB=ADK\angle A M K' = \angle A M O = \angle A D B = \angle A D K'. Therefore, quadrilateral AMDKA M D K' is cyclic by condition (2).

ii. If BB and KK' are on opposite sides of DD, then AMK=AMO=ADB=180ADK\angle A M K' = \angle A M O = \angle A D B = 180^{\circ} - \angle A D K', so AMK+ADK=180\angle A M K' + \angle A D K' = 180^{\circ}. Therefore, quadrilateral AMKDA M K' D is cyclic by condition (1).

(b) Now suppose that MM lies to the left of ADA D. Then OO and KK' are on opposite sides of MM.

i. If BB and KK' are on the same side of DD, then ADK=ADB=AMO=180AMK\angle A D K' = \angle A D B = \angle A M O = 180^{\circ} - \angle A M K', so ADK+AMK=180\angle A D K' + \angle A M K' = 180^{\circ}. Therefore, quadrilateral ADKMA D K' M is cyclic by condition (1).

ii. If BB and KK' are on opposite sides of DD, then ADK=180ADB=180AMO=AMK\angle A D K' = 180^{\circ} - \angle A D B = 180^{\circ} - \angle A M O = \angle A M K'. Therefore, quadrilateral AKDMA K' D M is cyclic by condition (2).

This proves that the points A,D,MA, D, M, and KK' are concyclic. Since kk is the unique circle going through points A,DA, D, and MM, it follows that KK' lies on kk. Thus KK' lies on line MOM O and circle kk, so we have K=KK' = K or K=MK' = M. But if K=MK' = M, then MM lies on line BDB D and thus M=BM = B. We noted above that this cannot be the case (or OO will not be well-defined), so we have K=KK = K', as desired.

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