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Geometry Difficulty 7.7 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ukraine

For an acute triangle ABCABC: its circumcircle ω\omega with center OO, the circumcircle ω1\omega_1 of the triangle AOCAOC and the diameter OQOQ of ω1\omega_1 were drawn. The points MM and NN were taken on the lines AQAQ and ACAC respectively in such a way that the quadrilateral AMBNAMBN is a parallelogram. Prove that the intersection point of the lines MNMN and BQBQ belongs to the circle ω1\omega_1.

Solution

Let the line BQBQ meet the circle ω1\omega_1 again at the point TT. We will show that the points MM, TT, NN are collinear. Since OQOQ is the diameter of the circle ω1\omega_1, MQMQ and CQCQ are tangents to the circle ω\omega. Let ABC=β\angle ABC = \beta. Then CAQ=ACQ=β\angle CAQ = \angle ACQ = \beta (as angles between tangents and a chord), ATQ=ACQ=β\angle ATQ = \angle ACQ = \beta and CTQ=CAQ=β\angle CTQ = \angle CAQ = \beta (as inscribed angles in the circle ω1\omega_1), BNA=AMB=CAQ=β\angle BNA = \angle AMB = \angle CAQ = \beta (as angles at parallel lines). Hence AMB+ATB=β+(180β)=180\angle AMB + \angle ATB = \beta + (180^\circ - \beta) = 180^\circ, so the quadrilateral AMBTAMBT is cyclic and BTM=MAB=ACB\angle BTM = \angle MAB = \angle ACB.

Next, depending on the order of the points AA, CC, and NN on the line, we consider the following cases. If the point CC lies between AA and NN, then BNC+BTC=β+(180β)=180\angle BNC + \angle BTC = \beta + (180^\circ - \beta) = 180^\circ. Thus, the quadrilateral BNCTBNCT is cyclic, and BTN=BCN=180ACB=180BTM\angle BTN = \angle BCN = 180^\circ - \angle ACB = 180^\circ - \angle BTM. If the point NN lies between AA and CC, then BNC=180β=BTC\angle BNC = 180^\circ - \beta = \angle BTC. Then the quadrilateral BCNTBCNT is cyclic, and BTN=180ACB=180BTM\angle BTN = 180^\circ - \angle ACB = 180^\circ - \angle BTM. We see that in both cases, the equality BTM+BTN=180\angle BTM + \angle BTN = 180^\circ holds, which proves that TT is the intersection point of the lines MNMN and BQBQ.

Another solution, proposed by 11th grade student Roman Cheplyaka (Odessa), is based on an additional construction. Namely, construct the circle ω2\omega_2 on the segment OBOB as a diameter. Let TT be the point of intersection of the circles ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 different from OO. Since OTB=OTQ=90\angle OTB = \angle OTQ = 90^\circ as inscribed angles subtended by the diameter, the point TT lies on BQBQ (so this is the same point TT as in the first solution). Let RR be the midpoint of the side ABAB (and the intersection point of the diagonals of the parallelogram AMBNAMBN). Then the line OROR is the perpendicular bisector of ABAB. Hence, ORB=90\angle ORB = 90^\circ, and the point RR also lies on ω2\omega_2. Since the inscribed angles RTBRTB and BORBOR in the circle ω2\omega_2 are equal, and BOR=12AOB=ACB\angle BOR = \frac{1}{2}\angle AOB = \angle ACB, we have BTR=ACB\angle BTR = \angle ACB. In addition, AQT=ACT\angle AQT = \angle ACT as angles inscribed in ω1\omega_1. Let PP be the intersection point of the lines ACAC and RTRT. Since the angle CARCAR is acute and the angle ARTART is right, these lines do intersect, and one of two cases occurs: either the point PP lies between AA and CC, or the point CC lies between AA and RR.

In the first case, we have the equalities BTP=180BTR=180BCP\angle BTP = 180^\circ - \angle BTR = 180^\circ - \angle BCP, so the quadrilateral BTPCBTPC is cyclic and ACT=PCT=PBT\angle ACT = \angle PCT = \angle PBT. In the second case, BTP=180BTR=180ACB=BCP\angle BTP = 180^\circ - \angle BTR = 180^\circ - \angle ACB = \angle BCP, so the quadrilateral BTCPBTCP is cyclic and ACT=180PCT=PBT\angle ACT = 180^\circ - \angle PCT = \angle PBT. We see that in both cases the equality PBT=ACT=AQT\angle PBT = \angle ACT = \angle AQT holds, from which it follows that BPAQBP \parallel AQ. Thus, the point PP coincides with the point NN, and the line PRPR coincides with the line MNMN (which contains the diagonal of the parallelogram AMBNAMBN). Therefore, the point TT lies simultaneously on the circle ω1\omega_1 and on the lines BQBQ and MNMN.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.