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Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 6.6 National Olympiad Prove it JBMO

Problem:
Let II be the incenter and ABAB the shortest side of a triangle ABCABC. The circle with center II and passing through CC intersects the ray ABAB at the point PP and the ray BABA at the point QQ. Let DD be the point where the excircle of the triangle ABCABC belonging to angle AA touches the side BCBC, and let EE be the symmetric of the point CC with respect to DD. Show that the lines PEPE and CQCQ are perpendicular.

Solution

Solution:
First we will show that points PP and QQ are not on the line segment ABAB.
Assume that QQ is on the line segment ABAB. Since CI=QICI = QI and ∠IBQ=∠IBC\angle IBQ = \angle IBC, either the triangles CBICBI and QBIQBI are congruent or ∠ICB+∠IQB=180∘\angle ICB + \angle IQB = 180^\circ. In the first case, we have BC=BQBC = BQ which contradicts ABAB being the shortest side.
In the second case, we have ∠IQA=∠ICB=∠ICA\angle IQA = \angle ICB = \angle ICA and the triangles IACIAC and IAQIAQ are congruent. Hence this time we have AC=AQAC = AQ, contradicting ABAB being the shortest side.

Figure 1

Case 1

Figure 2

Now we will show that the lines PEPE and CQCQ are perpendicular.
Since ∠IBQ≤∠IAB=(∠CAB)/2<90∘\angle IBQ \leq \angle IAB = (\angle CAB)/2 < 90^\circ and ∠ICB=(∠ACB)/2<90∘\angle ICB = (\angle ACB)/2 < 90^\circ, the triangles CBICBI and QBIQBI are congruent. Hence BC=BQBC = BQ and ∠CQP=∠CQB=90∘−(∠ABC)/2\angle CQP = \angle CQB = 90^\circ - (\angle ABC)/2. Similarly, we have AC=APAC = AP and hence BP=AC−ABBP = AC - AB.
On the other hand, as DE=CDDE = CD and CD+AC=uCD + AC = u, where uu denotes the semiperimeter of the triangle ABCABC, we have BE=BC−2(u−AC)=AC−ABBE = BC - 2(u - AC) = AC - AB. Therefore BP=BEBP = BE and ∠QPE=(∠ABC)/2\angle QPE = (\angle ABC)/2.
Hence, ∠CQP+∠QPE=90∘\angle CQP + \angle QPE = 90^\circ.

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