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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National Olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Let HH denote the intersection of the altitudes ADAD and CECE of an acute triangle ABCABC. Let MM and NN denote the midpoints of the sides ABAB and BCBC respectively. The rays MHMH and NHNH intersect the circumcircle ω\omega of ABCABC at points KK and LL respectively. If the circumcircles of the triangles EHKEHK and DHLDHL intersect ω\omega again at PP and QQ, show that the points D,E,P,QD, E, P, Q lie on a common circle.
(Batzaya G.)

Solution

Let OO denote the center of the circumcircle ω\omega and denote α:=BAC\alpha := \angle BAC, β:=ABC\beta := \angle ABC and γ:=BCA\gamma := \angle BCA. Let A:=(AO)ωA' := (AO) \cap \omega. First we show that NAHN \in A'H.

Figure 1

Indeed, let N:=AHBCN' := AH \cap BC. Since OO is the midpoint of AAAA', the centroid GG of the triangle AHAAHA' is the point on OHOH satisfying HG=2GOHG = 2GO. By Euler's theorem, GG is also the centroid of the triangle ABCABC. It follows that HBACHBA'C is a parallelogram and thus N=NN' = N. Now using the fact that PEHKPEHK, BDHEBDHE and PKCAPKCA are circumscribed, we compute

PED=PEHDEH=(180PKH)DBH=(180(PKC90))(90γ)=180PKC+γ=PAC+γ=PAB+α+γ. \begin{align*} \angle PED &= \angle PEH - \angle DEH \\ &= (180^\circ - \angle PKH) - \angle DBH \\ &= (180^\circ - (\angle PKC - 90^\circ)) - (90^\circ - \gamma) \\ &= 180^\circ - \angle PKC + \gamma \\ &= \angle PAC + \gamma \\ &= \angle PAB + \alpha + \gamma. \end{align*}

Similarly, using the fact that PQALPQAL, QDHLQDHL and LEHALEHA are circumscribed, we compute

PQD=PQL+LQD=PAL+(180LHD)=PAL+(180(LHE+EHD))=PALLHE+β=PALLAE+β=βPAB. \begin{align*} \angle PQD &= \angle PQL + \angle LQD \\ &= \angle PAL + (180^\circ - \angle LHD) \\ &= \angle PAL + (180^\circ - (\angle LHE + \angle EHD)) \\ &= \angle PAL - \angle LHE + \beta \\ &= \angle PAL - \angle LAE + \beta \\ &= \beta - \angle PAB. \end{align*}

It follows that PED+PQD=α+β+γ=180\angle PED + \angle PQD = \alpha + \beta + \gamma = 180^\circ, hence DEPQDEPQ is circumscribed.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.