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Geometry Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Bulgaria

Given a scalene triangle ABCABC. On the rays ACAC \rightarrow and BCBC \rightarrow, the points CaC_a and CbC_b are chosen, respectively, such that ACa=BCb=ABAC_a = BC_b = AB. We denote by OcO_c the center of the circumcircle about CCaCb\triangle CC_a C_b. Analogously, we define the points OaO_a and ObO_b. Prove that the lines AOaAO_a, BObBO_b and COcCO_c intersect at a point that lies on the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC.

(Alexander Ivanov)

Solution

Let OO and II be the centers of the circumscribed and inscribed circle of ABCABC, and A1A_1, B1B_1, C1C_1 be the centers of the arcs AB^\widehat{AB}, AC^\widehat{AC}, BC^\widehat{BC} (not containing the third vertices) of the circumscribed circle. By symmetry with respect to AA1AA_1 we have A1Ca=A1B=A1CA_1C_a = A_1B = A_1C and together with OcC=OcCaO_cC = O_cC_a it follows that A1OcA_1O_c is the segment bisector of CCaCC_a. Analogously, B1OcB_1O_c is the segment bisector of CCbCC_b. Thus, the quadrilateral OA1OcB1OA_1O_cB_1 is a parallelogram with OA1=OB1OA_1 = OB_1, i.e. rhombus. In other words, OO and OcO_c are symmetric about A1B1A_1B_1, and this is also true for CC and II, i.e. COcCO_c is symmetric to OIOI with respect to A1B1A_1B_1. Analogously, AOaAO_a and BObBO_b are symmetric on OIOI with respect to B1C1B_1C_1 and A1C1A_1C_1, respectively. Since II is the orthocenter of A1B1C1A_1B_1C_1, finally the lines AOaAO_a, BObBO_b, and COcCO_c intersect at the Anti-Steiner point for the line OIOI and triangle A1B1C1A_1B_1C_1 (circumscribed about ABCABC). \square

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