Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Let P,QP, Q be two points inside triangle ABCABC, satisfying BAP=CAQ\angle BAP = \angle CAQ, ACP=BCQ\angle ACP = \angle BCQ, and CBP=ABQ\angle CBP = \angle ABQ. Let Q1,Q2,Q3Q_1, Q_2, Q_3 be the reflections of QQ with respect to BC,CA,ABBC, CA, AB respectively. Let DD be the intersection of PQ1PQ_1 and BCBC, let EE be the intersection of PQ2PQ_2 and CACA, and let FF be the intersection of PQ3PQ_3 and ABAB. Prove that: AD,BE,CFAD, BE, CF are concurrent.

Solution

(1) First let ACP=BCQ=θ\angle ACP = \angle BCQ = \theta, then ACQ=BCP=Cθ\angle ACQ = \angle BCP = \angle C - \theta. Also, since Q1Q_1 is the reflection of QQ with respect to side CC, we have QCB=Q1CB\angle QCB = \angle Q_1CB and CQ=CQ1CQ = CQ_1. Therefore, PCQ1=PCB+Q1CB=ACQ+BCQ=C\angle PCQ_1 = \angle PCB + \angle Q_1CB = \angle ACQ + \angle BCQ = \angle C.

(2) Next let the feet of perpendiculars from PP to BC,CA,ABBC, CA, AB be M1,M2,M3M_1, M_2, M_3 respectively, and let the feet of perpendiculars from QQ to BC,CA,ABBC, CA, AB be N1,N2,N3N_1, N_2, N_3 respectively. Let SABCS_{\triangle ABC} denote the area of ABC\triangle ABC. Then,
SPCQ1=SPCD+SQ1CDCP×CQ×sinPCQ1=CP×CD×sinPCD+CD×CQ1×sinDCQ1CP×CQ×sinC=CD×CP×sinPCD+CD×CQ1×sinDCQ1CD×PM1+CD×Q1N1=CD×(PM1+QN1). \begin{aligned} S_{\triangle PCQ_1} &= S_{\triangle PCD} + S_{\triangle Q_1CD} \\ \Rightarrow \quad &CP \times CQ \times \sin PCQ_1 = CP \times CD \times \sin PCD + CD \times CQ_1 \times \sin DCQ_1 \\ \Rightarrow \quad &CP \times CQ \times \sin \angle C = CD \times CP \times \sin PCD + CD \times CQ_1 \times \sin DCQ_1 \\ \Rightarrow \quad &CD \times PM_1 + CD \times Q_1N_1 = CD \times (PM_1 + QN_1). \end{aligned}
Therefore CD=CP×CQ×sinCPM1+QN1CD = \frac{CP \times CQ \times \sin \angle C}{PM_1+QN_1}.

(3) Similarly it can be shown that CE=CP×CQ×sinCPM2+QN2CE = \frac{CP \times CQ \times \sin \angle C}{PM_2+QN_2}, therefore CDCE=PM2+QN2PM1+QN1\frac{CD}{CE} = \frac{PM_2+QN_2}{PM_1+QN_1}.

(4) Similarly, AEAF=PM3+QN3PM2+QN2\frac{AE}{AF} = \frac{PM_3+QN_3}{PM_2+QN_2} and BFBD=PM1+QN1PM3+QN3\frac{BF}{BD} = \frac{PM_1+QN_1}{PM_3+QN_3}, therefore:
AEEC×CDDB×BFFA=CDCE×AEAF×BFBD=1, \frac{AE}{EC} \times \frac{CD}{DB} \times \frac{BF}{FA} = \frac{CD}{CE} \times \frac{AE}{AF} \times \frac{BF}{BD} = 1,
therefore by Ceva's Theorem, AD,BE,CFAD, BE, CF are concurrent. Q.E.D.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.