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Geometry Difficulty 7.6 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Romania

Let A0A1A2A_0A_1A_2 be a triangle and let OO be its circumcenter. The lines OAkOA_k and Ak+1Ak+2A_{k+1}A_{k+2} meet at BkB_k, and the tangent of the circumcircle A0A1A2A_0A_1A_2 at AkA_k meets the line Bk+1Bk+2B_{k+1}B_{k+2} at CkC_k, k=0,1,2k = 0, 1, 2, indices being reduced modulo 33. Show that the points C0,C1,C2C_0, C_1, C_2 are collinear.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Figure 1
To this end, let the parallel through OO to the tangent Ak+1Ak+2A'_{k+1}A'_{k+2} meet the tangents AkAk+1A'_k A'_{k+1} and AkAk+2A'_k A'_{k+2} at XkX_k and YkY_k, respectively, and notice that:

(1) the angles OXkBkOX_k B_k and OAk+2BkOA_{k+2} B_k are equal, since the points Ak+2A_{k+2}, BkB_k, OO, XkX_k all lie on the circle on diameter OXkOX_k;

(2) the angles OAk+2BkOA_{k+2}B_k and OAk+1Ak+2OA_{k+1}A_{k+2} are equal, since OAk+1=OAk+2OA_{k+1} = OA_{k+2}; and

(3) the angles OAk+1Ak+2OA_{k+1}A_{k+2} and OYkBkOY_k B_k are equal, since the points Ak+1A_{k+1}, BkB_k, OO, YkY_k all lie on the circle on diameter OYkOY_k.

Consequently, the angles OXkBkOX_k B_k and OYkBkOY_k B_k are equal. Since the lines XkYkX_k Y_k and Ak+1Ak+2A'_{k+1} A'_{k+2} are parallel, and the latter is perpendicular to the line OAk=OBkOA_k = OB_k, it follows that BkB_k is the midpoint of the segment XkYkX_k Y_k, whence the conclusion.

Solution 2

Alternative Solution:

We will show that k=02(CkBk+1/CkBk+2)=1\prod_{k=0}^2 (C_k B_{k+1} / C_k B_{k+2}) = 1, so the conclusion follows by Menelaus' theorem. To this end, we will prove that
CkBk+1CkBk+2=AkAk+1AkAk+2AkBk+1AkBk+2.() \frac{C_k B_{k+1}}{C_k B_{k+2}} = \frac{A_k A_{k+1}}{A_k A_{k+2}} \cdot \frac{A_k B_{k+1}}{A_k B_{k+2}}. \quad (*)
Multiplying the three yields the desired relation, since, by Ceva's theorem, k=02(AkBk+1/AkBk+2)=1\prod_{k=0}^2 (A_k B_{k+1} / A_k B_{k+2}) = 1.

We now turn to prove ()(*). To avoid directed angles, assume, without any loss, that the triangle A0A1A2A_0 A_1 A_2 is acute-angled, fix an index kk and let AkAk+1AkAk+2A_k A_{k+1} \leq A_k A_{k+2} (the case AkAk+2AkAk+1A_k A_{k+2} \leq A_k A_{k+1} is dealt with similarly). Apply the law of sines in the triangles AkBk+1CkA_k B_{k+1} C_k and AkBk+2CkA_k B_{k+2} C_k to get
CkBk+1CkBk+2=AkBk+1AkBk+2sin(CkAkBk+1)sin(CkAkBk+2). \frac{C_k B_{k+1}}{C_k B_{k+2}} = \frac{A_k B_{k+1}}{A_k B_{k+2}} \cdot \frac{\sin(\angle C_k A_k B_{k+1})}{\sin(\angle C_k A_k B_{k+2})}.
Since the angle CkAkBk+1C_k A_k B_{k+1} is the supplement of the internal angle at Ak+1A_{k+1} of the triangle A0A1A2A_0 A_1 A_2, and the angle CkAkBk+2C_k A_k B_{k+2} is equal to the internal angle at Ak+2A_{k+2} of the triangle A0A1A2A_0 A_1 A_2, the above ratio of sines equals AkAk+1/AkAk+2A_k A_{k+1} / A_k A_{k+2} and ()(*) follows.

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