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Geometry Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

The bisector of the exterior angle at vertex CC of the triangle ABCABC intersects the bisector of the interior angle at vertex BB in point KK. Consider the diameter of the circumcircle of the triangle BCKBCK whose one endpoint is KK. Prove that AA lies on this diameter.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Figure 1
Fig. 9
Figure 2
Fig. 10

Let BB' and CC' be respectively the second intersection points of the lines ABAB and ACAC with the circumcircle of the triangle BCKBCK (Fig. 9). Notice that BKC=180CBKBCK=180ABC2(90+ACB2)=90ABC2ACB2\angle BKC = 180^\circ - \angle CBK - \angle BCK = 180^\circ - \frac{\angle ABC}{2} - (90^\circ + \frac{\angle ACB}{2}) = 90^\circ - \frac{\angle ABC}{2} - \frac{\angle ACB}{2}. Hence the central angle supported by the arc BCBC has the size 180ABCACB180^\circ - \angle ABC - \angle ACB. The central angle supported by the arc BCB'C has the size 2ABC2\angle ABC and the central angle supported by the arc CBC'B has the size 2ACB2\angle ACB. Hence the central angle supported by the arc BCB'C' has the size 360(180ABCACB)2ABC2ACB360^\circ - (180^\circ - \angle ABC - \angle ACB) - 2\angle ABC - 2\angle ACB, which equals 180ABCACB180^\circ - \angle ABC - \angle ACB. Hence the arcs BCBC and BCB'C' have the same size. As KK is the midpoint of the arc BCB'C, the point BB' is the reflection of the point CC by the diameter drawn from point KK, and CC' is the reflection of point BB. Hence the intersection point AA of BBBB' and CCCC' has to lie on the diameter drawn from the point KK.

Remark. Among the used central angles there may also be angles of size greater than 180180^\circ (reflex angles), such as the angle corresponding to the arc BCB'C in Fig. 10.

Solution 2

Figure 3
Fig. 11

Let LL be the second endpoint of the diameter through KK of the circumcircle of the triangle BCKBCK (Fig. 11). Then KCL=90\angle KCL = 90^\circ, thus CLCL is the bisector of the interior angle at vertex CC of the triangle ABCABC, and KBL=90\angle KBL = 90^\circ, so BLBL is the bisector of the exterior angle at vertex BB of ABCABC.
The bisectors of the exterior angles at some two vertices of a triangle and the bisector of the interior angle at the third vertex of the triangle intersect at a common point. Thus the bisector of the exterior angle at vertex AA of the triangle ABCABC passes through points KK and LL. Thus point AA lies on KLKL.

Solution 3

Figure 4
Fig. 12

Let us denote the angles of the triangle ABCABC at vertices AA, BB and CC respectively α\alpha, β\beta and γ\gamma. Let the intersection point of the line BCBC and the tangent to the circumcircle of triangle BCKBCK at point KK be MM (Fig. 12). By the property of inscribed angles, MKC=MBK=β2\angle MKC = \angle MBK = \frac{\beta}{2}. The bisectors of the exterior angles at some two vertices of a triangle and the bisector of the interior angle at the third vertex of the triangle have a common point. Hence AKAK is the bisector of the exterior angle at vertex AA of the triangle ABCABC.
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Thus CKA=180KACKCA=180180α2180γ2=α2+γ2\angle CKA = 180^\circ - \angle KAC - \angle KCA = 180^\circ - \frac{180^\circ - \alpha}{2} - \frac{180^\circ - \gamma}{2} = \frac{\alpha}{2} + \frac{\gamma}{2}.
Hence MKA=MKC+CKA=α2+β2+γ2=90\angle MKA = \angle MKC + \angle CKA = \frac{\alpha}{2} + \frac{\beta}{2} + \frac{\gamma}{2} = 90^\circ. As a tangent of a circle is perpendicular to the diameter drawn from the point of tangency we have that AA lies on the diameter drawn from point KK.

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