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Ukrainian National Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Ukraine

Inside the triangle ABCABC there exists a point OO such that ∠BOC=90∘−∠BAC\angle BOC = 90^\circ - \angle BAC. The rays BOBO and COCO intersect the sides ACAC and ABAB at the points KK and LL respectively. The points K1K_1 and L1L_1 are selected on the segments LCLC and BKBK respectively, so that BK1=K1KBK_1 = K_1K and CL1=L1LCL_1 = L_1L. Let MM be the middle of the side BCBC. Prove that ∠K1ML1\angle K_1ML_1 is a right angle.

(Anton Trygub)

Figure 1
Fig. 18

Solution

Let K2K_2 and L2L_2 be the midpoints of the segments BKBK and CLCL respectively (fig. 18). Then MK2∥ACMK_2 \parallel AC and ML2∥ABML_2 \parallel AB. Hence, ∠K2ML2=∠BAC\angle K_2ML_2 = \angle BAC. From the isosceles triangles BK1KBK_1K and CL1LCL_1L we have that ∠L1L2K1=∠K1K2L1=90∘\angle L_1L_2K_1 = \angle K_1K_2L_1 = 90^\circ and then L1,L2,K1,K2L_1, L_2, K_1, K_2 lie on the same circle with diameter K1L1K_1L_1. Also note that
∠K2K1L2=∠K2L1L2=90∘−∠BOC=∠BAC=∠K2ML2. \angle K_2K_1L_2 = \angle K_2L_1L_2 = 90^\circ - \angle BOC = \angle BAC = \angle K_2ML_2.
So, MM also lies on a circle with diameter K1L1K_1L_1. Hence, ∠K1ML1=90∘\angle K_1ML_1 = 90^\circ.

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