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Hellenic Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Greece

Let ABΓA B \Gamma be an isosceles acute angled triangle with AB=AΓAB = A\Gamma. Let ΓΔ\Gamma\Delta be an altitude of the triangle. The circle c2(Γ,ΓΔ)c_2(\Gamma, \Gamma\Delta) intersects AΓA\Gamma at point KK, the extension of AΓA\Gamma at point ZZ and the circle c1(B,BΔ)c_1(B, B\Delta) at point EE. Finally, ΔZ\Delta Z intersects the circle c1c_1 at point MM. Prove that

a. ZΔ^E=45∘Z\hat{\Delta}E = 45^\circ

b. The points EE, MM, and KK are collinear.

c. The line BMBM is parallel to the line EΓE\Gamma.

Solution

a.
From the right angled triangle BΓΔB\Gamma\Delta we have: Γ^1=90∘−B^\hat{\Gamma}_1 = 90^\circ - \hat{B}.
The line joining the centers of the circles c1c_1 and c2c_2 is the perpendicular bisector of their common chord ΔE\Delta E.
If TT is the point of intersection of the lines BΓB\Gamma and ΔE\Delta E, then:
Γ^1+Δ^1+Δ^2=90∘, that is Δ^1+Δ^2=B^=Γ^.(1) \hat{\Gamma}_1 + \hat{\Delta}_1 + \hat{\Delta}_2 = 90^\circ, \text{ that is } \hat{\Delta}_1 + \hat{\Delta}_2 = \hat{B} = \hat{\Gamma}. \quad (1)
From the isosceles triangle ΓΔZ\Gamma\Delta Z we have: Δ^1=Z^1\hat{\Delta}_1 = \hat{Z}_1 and Γ^2=2Δ^1=90∘−A^\hat{\Gamma}_2 = 2\hat{\Delta}_1 = 90^\circ - \hat{A}, and hence:
Δ^1=45∘−A^2.(2) \hat{\Delta}_1 = 45^\circ - \frac{\hat{A}}{2}. \quad (2)
From the isosceles triangle ABΓAB\Gamma we have: B^=90∘−A^2\hat{B} = 90^\circ - \frac{\hat{A}}{2} \quad (3)
From (1), (2), (3) we get:
Δ^1+Δ^2=B^=Γ^⇔Δ^2=B^−Δ^1⇔(2),(3)Δ^2=90∘−A^2−(45∘−A^2)=45∘. \hat{\Delta}_1 + \hat{\Delta}_2 = \hat{B} = \hat{\Gamma} \Leftrightarrow \hat{\Delta}_2 = \hat{B} - \hat{\Delta}_1 \stackrel{(2),(3)}{\Leftrightarrow} \hat{\Delta}_2 = 90^\circ - \frac{\hat{A}}{2} - \left( 45^\circ - \frac{\hat{A}}{2} \right) = 45^\circ.

b.
The angle Δ^1\hat{\Delta}_1 is created from the chord ΔM\Delta M and the tangent ΔΓ\Delta\Gamma of the circle c1c_1, and hence ΔE^M=Δ^1\Delta\hat{E}M = \hat{\Delta}_1. Also we have ΔE^K=ΔZ^K=Z^1\Delta\hat{E}K = \Delta\hat{Z}K = \hat{Z}_1.
Since Δ^1=Z^1\hat{\Delta}_1 = \hat{Z}_1, we get ΔE^M=ΔE^K\Delta\hat{E}M = \Delta\hat{E}K, and the points EE, MM, KK are collinear.

c.
We will prove that ΔB^M=90∘−A^\Delta\hat{B}M = 90^\circ - \hat{A}.
We have ΔB^M=2ΔE^M=2Λ^1=Γ^2=90∘−A^\Delta\hat{B}M = 2\Delta\hat{E}M = 2\hat{\Lambda}_1 = \hat{\Gamma}_2 = 90^\circ - \hat{A}, and hence BM⊥AΓBM \perp A\Gamma. Moreover EK^Z=EΔ^Z=Λ^2=45∘E\hat{K}Z = E\hat{\Delta}Z = \hat{\Lambda}_2 = 45^\circ, and so the orthogonal triangle EZKEZK isosceles. Then its median EΓE\Gamma is also an altitude, that is EΓ⊥KZE\Gamma \perp KZ. Hence BM∥EΓBM \parallel E\Gamma (both are perpendicular to the line AZAZ).

Figure 1
Figure 2

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