Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2025

Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it United States

Problem:

Let ABC\triangle ABC be a triangle with incenter II. The incircle of triangle ABC\triangle ABC touches BC\overline{BC} at DD. Let MM be the midpoint of BC\overline{BC}, and let line AIAI meet the circumcircle of triangle ABC\triangle ABC again at LAL \neq A. Let ω\omega be the circle centered at LL tangent to ABAB and ACAC. If ω\omega intersects segment AD\overline{AD} at point PP, prove that IPM=90\angle IPM = 90^{\circ}.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Solution:

Let XX and YY be the bottom and top point on ω\omega (i.e., the tangents of XX and YY to ω\omega are parallel to BCBC, and YY and AA lie on the same side of BCBC). Note that AA, PP, DD, and XX are collinear by homothety between the incircle and ω\omega. The key claim is the following.

Claim 1. Line IYIY is tangent to ω\omega.

Proof. Let the line through II parallel to BCBC meet ABAB and ACAC at BB', CC', respectively. Notice that BLB'L is the perpendicular bisector of BIBI, so BLB'L externally bisects ABC\angle AB'C'. Similarly, CLC'L externally bisects ACB\angle AC'B'. Hence, LL is the excenter of ABC\triangle AB'C', which means that BCB'C' is tangent to ω\omega. \square

Figure 1

Now, we note that LYBCLY \perp BC, so LL, YY, and MM are collinear (on the perpendicular bisector of BCBC). Since YPX=90\angle YPX = 90^{\circ} and YMD=90\angle YMD = 90^{\circ}, PDMYPDMY is cyclic. However, IYMDIYMD is a rectangle, so IPDMYIPDMY is a cyclic pentagon. Hence, IPM=IDM=90\angle IPM = \angle IDM = 90^{\circ}.

Solution 2

Solution:

Let the incircle touch ACAC and ABAB at EE and FF, respectively. Let DIDI intersect EFEF at XX. Let DD' be the other intersection of ADAD and the incircle.

Claim 2. PMDXPM \parallel D'X.

Proof. Consider the homothety at AA that sends ω\omega to the incircle. It sends LL to II and PP to DD'. Furthermore, it's well-known that XX lies on AMAM. Because IXLMIX \parallel LM, we also have that the homothety sends MM to XX. These facts imply that DXPMD'X \parallel PM. \square

Figure 2

Let TT be the antipode of DD on the incircle. Let ATAT intersect the incircle again at TT'. Since XX lies on the polar of AA with respect to the incircle, by Brocard's theorem, we have DD', XX, and TT' are collinear. It is well-known that ATIMAT \parallel IM. Therefore, DPM=DDX=DDT=DTT=DIM\angle DPM = \angle DD'X = \angle DD'T' = \angle DTT' = \angle DIM. Consequently, IMDPIMDP is cyclic, and IPM=IDM=90\angle IPM = \angle IDM = 90^{\circ}.

Solution 3

Solution:

Let ω\omega be tangent to ABAB and ACAC at EE and FF, respectively. Note that these are the feet of the altitudes from LL to ABAB and ACAC, and LL lies on the circumcircle of ABC\triangle ABC by Fact 5. As MM is clearly the foot from LL to BCBC, it follows that EE, FF, and MM are collinear on the Simson Line of LL with respect to ABC\triangle ABC.

Lastly, we want PP to be on the circle with diameter IMIM. This circle intersects EFEF again at the foot from MM to AIAI, which is the midpoint of EFEF. Let this point be MM'. Consider the homothety sending the incircle to ω\omega. This clearly sends DD to the second intersection of ADAD and ω\omega, which is PP', and it sends II to LL. Note that APAP=AE2=AMALAP \cdot AP' = AE^2 = AM \cdot AL, as the circle with diameter LELE is tangent to AEAE. Thus, PPMLPP'M'L is cyclic. Since IDLPID \parallel LP', II lies on MLM'L, and DD lies on PPPP'. By Reim's, we also have PDMIPDM'I is cyclic. As IMIM is a diameter of (DMI)(DM'I), we have IPM=90\angle IPM = 90^{\circ}.

Figure 3

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