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Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Slovenia

Let PP and QQ be two points in the interior of the triangle ABCABC such that PAC=BAQ\angle PAC = \angle BAQ and CBP=QBA\angle CBP = \angle QBA. Denote by PA,PBP_A, P_B, and PCP_C the orthogonal projections of the point PP onto the sides BC,CABC, CA, and ABAB, and by QA,QBQ_A, Q_B, and QCQ_C the orthogonal projections of the point QQ onto the sides BC,CABC, CA, and ABAB. Prove that the points PA,PB,PC,QA,QBP_A, P_B, P_C, Q_A, Q_B, and QCQ_C lie on the same circle.

Solution

Since PAC=BAQ\angle PAC = \angle BAQ the right-angle triangles PAPBPAP_B and QAQCQAQ_C have equal angles and hence are similar. It follows APAQ=APBAQC\frac{|AP|}{|AQ|} = \frac{|AP_B|}{|AQ_C|}. We also have BAP=BACPAC=BACBAQ=QAC\angle BAP = \angle BAC - \angle PAC = \angle BAC - \angle BAQ = \angle QAC. Hence the right-angle triangles PAPCPAP_C and QAQBQAQ_B also have equal angles and are similar. It follows APAQ=APCAQB\frac{|AP|}{|AQ|} = \frac{|AP_C|}{|AQ_B|}. Combining both ratios we get
APBAQB=APCAQC oziroma APBAQB=APCAQC, |AP_B| \cdot |AQ_B| = |AP_C| \cdot |AQ_C| \text{ oziroma } A\vec{P}_B \cdot A\vec{Q}_B = A\vec{P}_C \cdot A\vec{Q}_C,
since the points PB,QB,PCP_B, Q_B, P_C, and QCQ_C all lie on the sides of the triangle. By the Power of a Point Theorem the points PB,QB,PCP_B, Q_B, P_C, and QCQ_C are concyclic. Denote their common circle by K1\mathcal{K}_1.

Similarly, since CBP=QBA\angle CBP = \angle QBA the right-angle triangles PBPAPBP_A and QBQCQBQ_C are similar. Since ABP=QBC\angle ABP = \angle QBC the right-angle triangles PBPCPBP_C and QBQAQBQ_A are also similar. It follows BPABQC=BPCBQA\frac{|BP_A|}{|BQ_C|} = \frac{|BP_C|}{|BQ_A|}. Therefore
BPABQA=BPCBQC, B\vec{P}_A \cdot B\vec{Q}_A = B\vec{P}_C \cdot B\vec{Q}_C,

Let MM be the midpoint of the segment PQPQ. The center of the circle K1\mathcal{K}_1 lies on the intersection of bisectors of the segments PBQBP_BQ_B and PCQCP_CQ_C. Since both bisectors pass through MM, MM is the center of the circle K1\mathcal{K}_1. Similarly, the center of the circle K2\mathcal{K}_2 lies on the intersection of bisectors of the segments PAQAP_AQ_A and PCQCP_CQ_C. These bisectors also pass through MM, hence MM is the center of the circle K2\mathcal{K}_2. Therefore the circles K1\mathcal{K}_1 and K2\mathcal{K}_2 have a common center, and both pass through the points PCP_C and QCQ_C, hence they are the same. It follows that the points PA,PB,PC,QA,QBP_A, P_B, P_C, Q_A, Q_B, and QCQ_C all lie on a common circle.

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