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Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCDABCD be a convex quadrilateral with B=D=90\angle B = \angle D = 90^{\circ}. Point HH is the foot of the perpendicular from AA to BDBD. The points SS and TT are chosen on the sides ABAB and ADAD, respectively, in such a way that HH lies inside triangle SCTSCT and
SHCBSC=90,THCDTC=90. \angle SHC - \angle BSC = 90^{\circ}, \quad \angle THC - \angle DTC = 90^{\circ}.
Prove that the circumcircle of triangle SHTSHT is tangent to the line BDBD.

Solution

Let the line passing through CC and perpendicular to the line SCSC intersect the line ABAB at QQ (see Figure 1). Then
SQC=90BSC=180SHC, \angle SQC = 90^{\circ} - \angle BSC = 180^{\circ} - \angle SHC,
which implies that the points CC, HH, SS, and QQ lie on a common circle. Moreover, since SQSQ is a diameter of this circle, we infer that the circumcentre KK of triangle SHCSHC lies on the line ABAB. Similarly, we prove that the circumcentre LL of triangle CHTCHT lies on the line ADAD.

Figure 1
Figure 1

In order to prove that the circumcircle of triangle SHTSHT is tangent to BDBD, it suffices to show that the perpendicular bisectors of HSHS and HTHT intersect on the line AHAH. However, these two perpendicular bisectors coincide with the angle bisectors of angles AKHAKH and ALHALH. Therefore, in order to complete the solution, it is enough (by the bisector theorem) to show that
AKKH=ALLH. \begin{equation*} \frac{AK}{KH} = \frac{AL}{LH} . \tag{1} \end{equation*}
We present two proofs of this equality.

First proof. Let the lines KLKL and HCHC intersect at MM (see Figure 2). Since KH=KCKH = KC and LH=LCLH = LC, the points HH and CC are symmetric to each other with respect to the line KLKL. Therefore MM is the midpoint of HCHC. Denote by OO the circumcentre of quadrilateral ABCDABCD. Then OO is the midpoint of ACAC. Therefore we have OMAHOM \parallel AH and hence OMBDOM \perp BD. This together with the equality OB=ODOB = OD implies that OMOM is the perpendicular bisector of BDBD and therefore BM=DMBM = DM.

Since CMKLCM \perp KL, the points BB, CC, MM, and KK lie on a common circle with diameter KCKC. Similarly, the points LL, CC, MM, and DD lie on a circle with diameter LCLC. Thus, using the sine law, we obtain
AKAL=sinALKsinAKL=DMCLCKBM=CKCL=KHLH, \frac{AK}{AL} = \frac{\sin \angle ALK}{\sin \angle AKL} = \frac{DM}{CL} \cdot \frac{CK}{BM} = \frac{CK}{CL} = \frac{KH}{LH},
which finishes the proof of (1).

Figure 2
Figure 2

Second proof. If the points AA, HH, and CC are collinear, then AK=ALAK = AL and KH=LHKH = LH, so the equality (1) follows. Assume therefore that the points AA, HH, and CC do not lie in a line and consider the circle ω\omega passing through them (see Figure 3). Since the quadrilateral ABCDABCD is cyclic,
BAC=BDC=90ADH=HAD. \angle BAC = \angle BDC = 90^{\circ} - \angle ADH = \angle HAD.
Let NAN \neq A be the intersection point of the circle ω\omega and the angle bisector of CAH\angle CAH. Then ANAN is also the angle bisector of BAD\angle BAD. Since HH and CC are symmetric to each other with respect to the line KLKL and HN=NCHN = NC, it follows that both NN and the centre of ω\omega lie on the line KLKL. This means that the circle ω\omega is an Apollonius circle of the points KK and LL. This immediately yields (1).

Figure 3
Figure 3

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