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Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCABC be a triangle with circumcenter OO and incenter II. The points DD, EE and FF on the sides BCBC, CACA and ABAB respectively are such that BD+BF=CABD + BF = CA and CD+CE=ABCD + CE = AB. The circumcircles of the triangles BFDBFD and CDECDE intersect at PDP \neq D. Prove that OP=OIOP = OI.

Solution

Let ωA\omega_{A}, ωB\omega_{B} and ωC\omega_{C} meet the bisectors AIAI, BIBI and CICI at AAA \neq A', BBB \neq B' and CCC \neq C' respectively. The key observation is that AA', BB' and CC' do not depend on the particular choice of DD, EE and FF, provided that BD+BF=CABD + BF = CA, CD+CE=ABCD + CE = AB and AE+AF=BCAE + AF = BC hold true (the last equality follows from the other two). For a proof we need the following fact.

Lemma. Given is an angle with vertex AA and measure α\alpha. A circle ω\omega through AA intersects the angle bisector at LL and sides of the angle at XX and YY. Then AX+AY=2ALcosα2AX + AY = 2AL \cos \frac{\alpha}{2}.

Proof. Note that LL is the midpoint of arcXLY^\operatorname{arc} \widehat{XLY} in ω\omega and set XL=YL=uXL = YL = u, XY=vXY = v. By Ptolemy's theorem AXYL+AYXL=ALXYAX \cdot YL + AY \cdot XL = AL \cdot XY, which rewrites as (AX+AY)u=ALv(AX + AY)u = AL \cdot v. Since LXY=α2\angle LXY = \frac{\alpha}{2} and XLY=180α\angle XLY = 180^\circ - \alpha, we have v=2cosα2uv = 2 \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} u by the law of sines, and the claim follows. \square

Figure 1

Apply the lemma to BAC=α\angle BAC = \alpha and the circle ω=ωA\omega = \omega_{A}, which intersects AIAI at AA'. This gives 2AAcosα2=AE+AF=BC2AA' \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = AE + AF = BC; by symmetry analogous relations hold for BBBB' and CCCC'. It follows that AA', BB' and CC' are independent of the choice of DD, EE and FF, as stated.

We use the lemma two more times with BAC=α\angle BAC = \alpha. Let ω\omega be the circle with diameter AIAI. Then XX and YY are the tangency points of the incircle of ABCABC with ABAB and ACAC, and hence AX=AY=12(AB+ACBC)AX = AY = \frac{1}{2}(AB + AC - BC). So the lemma yields 2AIcosα2=AB+ACBC2AI \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = AB + AC - BC. Next, if ω\omega is the circumcircle of ABCABC and AIAI intersects ω\omega at MAM \neq A then {X,Y}={B,C}\{X, Y\} = \{B, C\}, and so 2AMcosα2=AB+AC2AM \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = AB + AC by the lemma. To summarize,

2AAcosα2=BC,2AIcosα2=AB+ACBC,2AMcosα2=AB+AC. \begin{equation*} 2AA' \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = BC, \quad 2AI \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = AB + AC - BC, \quad 2AM \cos \frac{\alpha}{2} = AB + AC. \tag{*} \end{equation*}

These equalities imply AA+AI=AMAA' + AI = AM, hence the segments AMAM and IAIA' have a common midpoint. It follows that II and AA' are equidistant from the circumcenter OO. By symmetry OI=OA=OB=OCOI = OA' = OB' = OC', so II, AA', BB', CC' are on a circle centered at OO.

To prove OP=OIOP = OI, now it suffices to show that II, AA', BB', CC' and PP are concyclic. Clearly one can assume PI,A,B,CP \neq I, A', B', C'.

We use oriented angles to avoid heavy case distinction. The oriented angle between the lines ll and mm is denoted by (l,m)\angle(l, m). We have (l,m)=(m,l)\angle(l, m) = -\angle(m, l) and (l,m)+(m,n)=(l,n)\angle(l, m) + \angle(m, n) = \angle(l, n) for arbitrary lines ll, mm and nn. Four distinct non-collinear points UU, VV, XX, YY are concyclic if and only if (UX,VX)=(UY,VY)\angle(UX, VX) = \angle(UY, VY).

Figure 2

Suppose for the moment that AA', BB', PP, II are distinct and noncollinear; then it is enough to check the equality (AP,BP)=(AI,BI)\angle(A'P, B'P) = \angle(A'I, B'I). Because AA, FF, PP, AA' are on the circle ωA\omega_{A}, we have (AP,FP)=(AA,FA)=(AI,AB)\angle(A'P, FP) = \angle(A'A, FA) = \angle(A'I, AB). Likewise (BP,FP)=(BI,AB)\angle(B'P, FP) = \angle(B'I, AB). Therefore

(AP,BP)=(AP,FP)+(FP,BP)=(AI,AB)(BI,AB)=(AI,BI). \angle(A'P, B'P) = \angle(A'P, FP) + \angle(FP, B'P) = \angle(A'I, AB) - \angle(B'I, AB) = \angle(A'I, B'I).

By Miquel's theorem the circles (AEF)=ωA(AEF) = \omega_{A}, (BFD)=ωB(BFD) = \omega_{B} and (CDE)=ωC(CDE) = \omega_{C} have a common point, for arbitrary points DD, EE and FF on BCBC, CACA and ABAB. So ωA\omega_{A} passes through the common point PDP \neq D of ωB\omega_{B} and ωC\omega_{C}.

Here we assumed that PFP \neq F. If P=FP = F then PD,EP \neq D, E and the conclusion follows similarly (use (AF,BF)=(AF,EF)+(EF,DF)+(DF,BF)\angle(A'F, B'F) = \angle(A'F, EF) + \angle(EF, DF) + \angle(DF, B'F) and inscribed angles in ωA\omega_{A}, ωB\omega_{B}, ωC\omega_{C}).

There is no loss of generality in assuming AA', BB', PP, II distinct and noncollinear. If ABCABC is an equilateral triangle then the equalities ()(*) imply that AA', BB', CC', II, OO and PP coincide, so OP=OIOP = OI. Otherwise at most one of AA', BB', CC' coincides with II. If say C=IC' = I then OICIOI \perp CI by the previous reasoning. It follows that AA', BIB' \neq I and hence ABA' \neq B'. Finally AA', BB' and II are noncollinear because II, AA', BB', CC' are concyclic.

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