Let ABC be a triangle with circumcenter O and incenter I. The points D, E and F on the sides BC, CA and AB respectively are such that BD+BF=CA and CD+CE=AB. The circumcircles of the triangles BFD and CDE intersect at P=D. Prove that OP=OI.
Solution
Let ωA, ωB and ωC meet the bisectors AI, BI and CI at A=A′, B=B′ and C=C′ respectively. The key observation is that A′, B′ and C′ do not depend on the particular choice of D, E and F, provided that BD+BF=CA, CD+CE=AB and AE+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 A and measure α. A circle ω through A intersects the angle bisector at L and sides of the angle at X and Y. Then AX+AY=2ALcos2α.
Proof. Note that L is the midpoint of arcXLY in ω and set XL=YL=u, XY=v. By Ptolemy's theorem AX⋅YL+AY⋅XL=AL⋅XY, which rewrites as (AX+AY)u=AL⋅v. Since ∠LXY=2α and ∠XLY=180∘−α, we have v=2cos2αu by the law of sines, and the claim follows. □
Apply the lemma to ∠BAC=α and the circle ω=ωA, which intersects AI at A′. This gives 2AA′cos2α=AE+AF=BC; by symmetry analogous relations hold for BB′ and CC′. It follows that A′, B′ and C′ are independent of the choice of D, E and F, as stated.
We use the lemma two more times with ∠BAC=α. Let ω be the circle with diameter AI. Then X and Y are the tangency points of the incircle of ABC with AB and AC, and hence AX=AY=21(AB+AC−BC). So the lemma yields 2AIcos2α=AB+AC−BC. Next, if ω is the circumcircle of ABC and AI intersects ω at M=A then {X,Y}={B,C}, and so 2AMcos2α=AB+AC by the lemma. To summarize,
These equalities imply AA′+AI=AM, hence the segments AM and IA′ have a common midpoint. It follows that I and A′ are equidistant from the circumcenter O. By symmetry OI=OA′=OB′=OC′, so I, A′, B′, C′ are on a circle centered at O.
To prove OP=OI, now it suffices to show that I, A′, B′, C′ and P are concyclic. Clearly one can assume P=I,A′,B′,C′.
We use oriented angles to avoid heavy case distinction. The oriented angle between the lines l and m is denoted by ∠(l,m). We have ∠(l,m)=−∠(m,l) and ∠(l,m)+∠(m,n)=∠(l,n) for arbitrary lines l, m and n. Four distinct non-collinear points U, V, X, Y are concyclic if and only if ∠(UX,VX)=∠(UY,VY).
Suppose for the moment that A′, B′, P, I are distinct and noncollinear; then it is enough to check the equality ∠(A′P,B′P)=∠(A′I,B′I). Because A, F, P, A′ are on the circle ωA, we have ∠(A′P,FP)=∠(A′A,FA)=∠(A′I,AB). Likewise ∠(B′P,FP)=∠(B′I,AB). Therefore
By Miquel's theorem the circles (AEF)=ωA, (BFD)=ωB and (CDE)=ωC have a common point, for arbitrary points D, E and F on BC, CA and AB. So ωA passes through the common point P=D of ωB and ωC.
Here we assumed that P=F. If P=F then P=D,E and the conclusion follows similarly (use ∠(A′F,B′F)=∠(A′F,EF)+∠(EF,DF)+∠(DF,B′F) and inscribed angles in ωA, ωB, ωC).
There is no loss of generality in assuming A′, B′, P, I distinct and noncollinear. If ABC is an equilateral triangle then the equalities (∗) imply that A′, B′, C′, I, O and P coincide, so OP=OI. Otherwise at most one of A′, B′, C′ coincides with I. If say C′=I then OI⊥CI by the previous reasoning. It follows that A′, B′=I and hence A′=B′. Finally A′, B′ and I are noncollinear because I, A′, B′, C′ are concyclic.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.