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Geometry Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let ABCDABCD be a convex quadrilateral, and let P,Q,R,SP, Q, R, S be points on the sides of AB,BC,CD,andDAAB, BC, CD, and DA, respectively. Let the line segments PRPR and QSQS meet at OO. Suppose that each of the quadrilaterals APOS,BQOP,CROQ,andDSORAPOS, BQOP, CROQ, and DSOR has an incircle. Prove that the lines AC,PQ,andRSAC, PQ, and RS are either concurrent or parallel to each other.

Solution

Applying Menelaus' theorem (孟氏定理) to ABC\triangle ABC with the line PQPQ, and to ACD\triangle ACD with the line RSRS, we see that the necessary and sufficient condition for ACAC to meet PQPQ and RSRS at the same point (this point may be at infinity) respectively is:
APPBBQQCCRRDDSSA=1.(1) \frac{AP}{PB} \cdot \frac{BQ}{QC} \cdot \frac{CR}{RD} \cdot \frac{DS}{SA} = 1. \qquad (1)
So we set our goal to proving equation (1).

First let us prove the following result.

Lemma 1. Suppose the quadrilateral EFGHEFGH has an incircle with center MM. Then
EFFGGHHE=FM2HM2. \frac{EF \cdot FG}{GH \cdot HE} = \frac{FM^2}{HM^2}.

Proof. Note that EMH+GMF=FME+HMG=180\angle EMH + \angle GMF = \angle FME + \angle HMG = 180^\circ, FGM=MGH\angle FGM = \angle MGH, and HEM=MEF\angle HEM = \angle MEF (as in Figure 1). By the Law of Sines, we know
EFFMFGFM=sinFMEsinGMFsinMEFsinFGM=sinHMGsinEMHsinMGHsinHEM=GHHMHEHM. \begin{aligned} \frac{EF}{FM} \cdot \frac{FG}{FM} &= \frac{\sin \angle FME \cdot \sin \angle GMF}{\sin \angle MEF \cdot \sin \angle FGM} = \frac{\sin \angle HMG \cdot \sin \angle EMH}{\sin \angle MGH \cdot \sin \angle HEM} \\ &= \frac{GH}{HM} \cdot \frac{HE}{HM}. \end{aligned}

Let the points I,J,K,LI, J, K, L be the incircle centers of the quadrilaterals APOS,BQOP,CROQ,DSORAPOS, BQOP, CROQ, DSOR respectively. Applying the result of Lemma 1 to these four quadrilaterals, we obtain
APPOOSSABQQOOPPBCRROOQQCDSSOORRD=PI2SI2QJ2PJ2RK2QK2SL2RL2, \frac{AP \cdot PO}{OS \cdot SA} \cdot \frac{BQ \cdot QO}{OP \cdot PB} \cdot \frac{CR \cdot RO}{OQ \cdot QC} \cdot \frac{DS \cdot SO}{OR \cdot RD} = \frac{PI^2}{SI^2} \cdot \frac{QJ^2}{PJ^2} \cdot \frac{RK^2}{QK^2} \cdot \frac{SL^2}{RL^2},
which simplifies to
APPBBQQCCRRDDSSA=PI2PJ2QJ2QK2RK2RL2SL2SI2.(2) \frac{AP}{PB} \cdot \frac{BQ}{QC} \cdot \frac{CR}{RD} \cdot \frac{DS}{SA} = \frac{PI^2}{PJ^2} \cdot \frac{QJ^2}{QK^2} \cdot \frac{RK^2}{RL^2} \cdot \frac{SL^2}{SI^2}. \quad (2)
Figure 1
Figure 2

Next, we have IPJ=JOI=90\angle IPJ = \angle JOI = 90^\circ, and the points I,JI, J lie on opposite sides of the line OPOP. From this we know that the quadrilateral IPJOIPJO has a circumscribed circle. Similarly, the quadrilateral JQKOJQKO also has a circumscribed circle, with JQK=90\angle JQK = 90^\circ. Therefore QKJ=QOJ=JOP=JIP\angle QKJ = \angle QOJ = \angle JOP = \angle JIP.

Hence the two right triangles IPJ\triangle IPJ and KQJ\triangle KQJ are similar, from which we know PIPJ=QKQJ\frac{PI}{PJ} = \frac{QK}{QJ}. Similarly we obtain RKRL=SISL\frac{RK}{RL} = \frac{SI}{SL}. Combining these two equations with equation (2), we get equation (1). This completes the proof.

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