Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.2 AIME, harder Prove it Singapore

In a convex quadrilateral ABCDABCD, A<90\angle A < 90^\circ, B<90\angle B < 90^\circ and AB>CDAB > CD. Points PP and QQ are on the segments BCBC and ADAD respectively. Suppose the triangles APDAPD and BQCBQC are similar. Prove that ABAB is parallel to CDCD.

Solution

Figure 1

Let the lines BCBC and ADAD intersect at MM. The conditions A<90\angle A < 90^\circ, B<90\angle B < 90^\circ and AB>CDAB > CD imply that CC lies between MBMB and DD lies between MAMA. Given the triangles APDAPD and BQCBQC are similar, we have BCQ=ADP\angle BCQ = \angle ADP so that MCQ=MDP\angle MCQ = \angle MDP. From this, we see that the triangles MCQMCQ and MDPMDP are similar. Thus MC/MD=MQ/MPMC/MD = MQ/MP. Using the given condition that the triangles APDAPD and BQCBQC are similar, we have PAD=QBC\angle PAD = \angle QBC so that PAM=QBM\angle PAM = \angle QBM. It follows that the triangles PAMPAM and QBMQBM are similar. Thus MQ/MP=MB/MAMQ/MP = MB/MA. Therefore, MB/MA=MC/MDMB/MA = MC/MD. This implies that ABAB is parallel to CDCD.

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