Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /1 of 30

Geometry Difficulty 7.4 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Germany

Problem:

We consider a triangle ABCABC and a point PP in its interior. The reflection points of PP across the sides BC\overline{BC}, CA\overline{CA} and AB\overline{AB} are denoted by A1A_1, B1B_1 and C1C_1. Furthermore, let Ω\Omega be the circumcircle of the triangle A1B1C1A_1B_1C_1 and finally let A2A_2, B2B_2 and C2C_2 be the second points of intersection of the lines A1PA_1P, B1PB_1P and C1PC_1P with Ω\Omega. Prove that the three lines AA2AA_2, BB2BB_2 and CC2CC_2 meet on Ω\Omega.

Solution

Solution:

We work with directed angles modulo 180180^{\circ}.
In this sketch, TT corresponds to the point PP.
Figure 1

Step 1: First we note that CACA and CBCB are the perpendicular bisectors of the segments PB1\overline{PB_1} and PA1\overline{PA_1}, so CC is the circumcenter of the triangle PA1B1PA_1B_1 and it follows that
A1CB=12A1CP=A1B1P=A1B1B2=A1C2B2. \measuredangle A_1CB = \frac{1}{2} \measuredangle A_1CP = \measuredangle A_1B_1P = \measuredangle A_1B_1B_2 = \measuredangle A_1C_2B_2.

Step 2: Analogously to Step 1, it follows that A1BC=A1B2C2\measuredangle A_1BC = \measuredangle A_1B_2C_2, so the triangles A1BCA_1BC and A1B2C2A_1B_2C_2 are similar.

Step 3: Using the similarity just proved, it follows that
CA1B=C2A1B2andA1CA1B=A1C2A1B2 \measuredangle CA_1B = \measuredangle C_2A_1B_2 \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{\left|\overline{A_1C}\right|}{\left|\overline{A_1B}\right|} = \frac{\left|\overline{A_1C_2}\right|}{\left|\overline{A_1B_2}\right|}
and thus also
B2A1B=C2A1CandA1B2A1B=A1C2A1C \measuredangle B_2A_1B = \measuredangle C_2A_1C \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{\left|\overline{A_1B_2}\right|}{\left|\overline{A_1B}\right|} = \frac{\left|\overline{A_1C_2}\right|}{\left|\overline{A_1C}\right|}
so the triangles A1B2BA_1B_2B and A1C2CA_1C_2C are also similar.

Step 4: Let KK be the point of intersection of C2CC_2C with Ω\Omega. Then 180A1B2K=A1C2K=A1C2C=A1B2B180^{\circ} - \measuredangle A_1B_2K = \measuredangle A_1C_2K = \measuredangle A_1C_2C = \measuredangle A_1B_2B holds, so KK lies on the line BB2BB_2. Analogously one can show that KK also lies on the line AA2AA_2, which completes the proof.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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