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Saudi Arabian Mathematical Competitions, 2012

Geometry Difficulty 4.9 AIME Prove it Saudi Arabia

Let ABCDABCD be a cyclic quadrilateral with B^≠90∘\hat{B} \neq 90^\circ and
AB2+BC2+CD2+DA2=2AC2. AB^2 + BC^2 + CD^2 + DA^2 = 2AC^2.
Prove that the midpoint of diagonal BDBD is on ACAC.

Solution

Let MM be the intersection point of the diagonals ACAC and BDBD.

Figure 1

Since B^≠90∘\hat{B} \ne 90^\circ it follows that D^≠90∘\hat{D} \ne 90^\circ, and hence we have cos⁡B^≠0\cos \hat{B} \ne 0 and cos⁡D^≠0\cos \hat{D} \ne 0. The quadrilateral ABCDABCD is cyclic, so therefore B^+D^=180∘\hat{B} + \hat{D} = 180^\circ. It follows cos⁡B^+cos⁡D^=0\cos \hat{B} + \cos \hat{D} = 0, and by the Cosine Law we obtain
AB2+BC2−AC22AB⋅BC+AD2+DC2−AC22AD⋅DC=0.(1) \frac{AB^2 + BC^2 - AC^2}{2AB \cdot BC} + \frac{AD^2 + DC^2 - AC^2}{2AD \cdot DC} = 0. \quad (1)
The given relation is equivalent to
AB2+BC2−AC2=−(AD2+DC2−AC2)≠0, AB^2 + BC^2 - AC^2 = -(AD^2 + DC^2 - AC^2) \neq 0,
and from (1) it follows AB⋅BC=AD⋅DCAB \cdot BC = AD \cdot DC. This implies that K[ABC]=K[ADC]K[ABC] = K[ADC], and hence BB′=DD′BB' = DD', where BB′BB' and DD′DD' are the altitudes of triangles ABCABC and ADCADC, respectively.

The triangles BB′MBB'M and DD′MDD'M are congruent, so MB=MDMB = MD, and we are done.

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