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IMO Shortlist, 2021

Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCDA B C D be a parallelogram such that AC=BCA C = B C. A point PP is chosen on the extension of the segment ABA B beyond BB. The circumcircle of the triangle ACDA C D meets the segment PDP D again at QQ, and the circumcircle of the triangle APQA P Q meets the segment PCP C again at RR. Prove that the lines CDC D, AQA Q, and BRB R are concurrent.

Solution

Common remarks. The introductory steps presented here are used in all solutions below.
Since AC=BC=ADA C = B C = A D, we have ∠ABC=∠BAC=∠ACD=∠ADC\angle A B C = \angle B A C = \angle A C D = \angle A D C. Since the quadrilaterals APRQA P R Q and AQCDA Q C D are cyclic, we obtain
∠CRA=180∘−∠ARP=180∘−∠AQP=∠DQA=∠DCA=∠CBA, \angle C R A = 180^{\circ} - \angle A R P = 180^{\circ} - \angle A Q P = \angle D Q A = \angle D C A = \angle C B A,
so the points A,B,CA, B, C, and RR lie on some circle γ\gamma.

Solution 1. Introduce the point X=AQ∩CDX = A Q \cap C D; we need to prove that B,RB, R and XX are collinear.
By means of the circle (APRQ)(A P R Q) we have
∠RQX=180∘−∠AQR=∠RPA=∠RCX \angle R Q X = 180^{\circ} - \angle A Q R = \angle R P A = \angle R C X
(the last equality holds in view of AB∥CDA B \parallel C D), which means that the points C,Q,RC, Q, R, and XX also lie on some circle δ\delta.
Using the circles δ\delta and γ\gamma we finally obtain
∠XRC=∠XQC=180∘−∠CQA=∠ADC=∠BAC=180∘−∠CRB, \angle X R C = \angle X Q C = 180^{\circ} - \angle C Q A = \angle A D C = \angle B A C = 180^{\circ} - \angle C R B,
that proves the desired collinearity.

Solution 2. Let α\alpha denote the circle (APRQ)(A P R Q). Since
∠CAP=∠ACD=∠AQD=180∘−∠AQP, \angle C A P = \angle A C D = \angle A Q D = 180^{\circ} - \angle A Q P,
the line ACA C is tangent to α\alpha.
Now, let ADA D meet α\alpha again at a point YY (which necessarily lies on the extension of DAD A beyond AA). Using the circle γ\gamma, along with the fact that ACA C is tangent to α\alpha, we have
∠ARY=∠CAD=∠ACB=∠ARB, \angle A R Y = \angle C A D = \angle A C B = \angle A R B,
so the points Y,BY, B, and RR are collinear.
Applying Pascal's theorem to the hexagon AAYRPQA A Y R P Q (where AAA A is regarded as the tangent to α\alpha at AA), we see that the points AA∩RP=CA A \cap R P = C, AY∩PQ=DA Y \cap P Q = D, and YR∩QAY R \cap Q A are collinear. Hence the lines CDC D, AQA Q, and BRB R are concurrent.

Solution 3. As in Solution 1, we introduce the point X=AQ∩CDX = A Q \cap C D and aim at proving that the points B,RB, R, and XX are collinear. As in Solution 2, we denote α=(APQR)\alpha = (A P Q R); but now we define YY to be the second meeting point of RBR B with α\alpha.
Using the circle α\alpha and noticing that CDC D is tangent to γ\gamma, we obtain
∠RYA=∠RPA=∠RCX=∠RBC. \begin{equation*} \angle R Y A = \angle R P A = \angle R C X = \angle R B C . \tag{1} \end{equation*}
So AY∥BCA Y \parallel B C, and hence YY lies on DAD A.
Now the chain of equalities (1) shows also that ∠RYD=∠RCX\angle R Y D = \angle R C X, which implies that the points C,D,YC, D, Y, and RR lie on some circle β\beta. Hence, the lines CDC D, AQA Q, and YBRY B R are the pairwise radical axes of the circles (AQCD)(A Q C D), α\alpha, and β\beta, so those lines are concurrent.

Figure 1
Figure 2

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