Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / Belarus — Final Round /4 of 32

Belarus — Final Round

Geometry Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Belarus

Let Ω\Omega be the circumcircle of a triangle ABCABC. A circle passing through the vertex AA and touching BCBC at point XX meets Ω\Omega at point YY (different from AA). Let point ZZ (different from YY) be the intersection point of the ray YXYX and Ω\Omega.
∠CAX=∠ZAB. \angle CAX = \angle ZAB.

Solution

Let ω\omega be the circle passing through AA and touching the side BCBC at XX. Since the angle YAXYAX subtends the arc YXYX, we have ∠YAX=12∠YX\angle YAX = \frac{1}{2} \angle YX.

Further, ∠YXC=12∠YX\angle YXC = \frac{1}{2} \angle YX (as the angle between the tangent BCBC and the chord XYXY). So, ∠YAX=∠YXC\angle YAX = \angle YXC. Let WW be the intersection point of the ray AXAX and Ω\Omega. Then ∠YAX=∠YAW\angle YAX = \angle YAW, so ∠YAW=∠YXC\angle YAW = \angle YXC. We have ∠BXZ=∠YXC\angle BXZ = \angle YXC as the vertical angles, so ∠BXZ=∠YAW\angle BXZ = \angle YAW. Further, ∠YAW=∠YZW\angle YAW = \angle YZW as inscribed angles of Ω\Omega subtending the same arc. Therefore, ∠BXZ=∠YZW\angle BXZ = \angle YZW, so BC∥WZBC \parallel WZ. Hence CW=ZBCW = ZB, and then ∠CAW=∠ZAB\angle CAW = \angle ZAB as inscribed angles of Ω\Omega subtending the equal arcs.

Figure 1

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