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Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Baltic Way

Assume that ABCDABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral with circumcircle Ω\Omega. Assume lines ABAB and CDCD intersect at point PP and lines ADAD and BCBC intersect at QQ. Let Γ\Gamma be the circumcircle of triangle APQAPQ. Then Ω\Omega and Γ\Gamma intersect in two points, AA is one of them and RR is the other. Assume CRC \neq R. Prove that line CRCR passes through MM where MM is the midpoint of linesegment PQPQ.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution 1. Let XX be a point on BCBC such that LXABLX \perp AB, as seen in figure 18. It is enough to prove that
DPPL=DKKX \frac{DP}{PL} = \frac{DK}{KX}
because then PKLXPK \parallel LX and LXABLX \perp AB.
Applying Menelaos for triangle BDL and transversal MPC we get
DPPLLMMBBCCD=1, \frac{DP}{PL} \cdot \frac{LM}{MB} \cdot \frac{BC}{CD} = 1,
and Menelaus for triangle BLC and transversal AMD gives
BMMLLAACCDDB=1. \frac{BM}{ML} \cdot \frac{LA}{AC} \cdot \frac{CD}{DB} = 1.
Multiplying these two equalities yields
DPBCALPLBDAC=1. \frac{DP \cdot BC \cdot AL}{PL \cdot BD \cdot AC} = 1.
Note, however, that AL=AD=ACsinγAL = AD = AC \sin \gamma, BD=ABcosβBD = AB \cos \beta, and, by the sine rule, ABBC=sinγsinα\frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{\sin \gamma}{\sin \alpha}, where α=BAC\alpha = \angle BAC, β=CBA\beta = \angle CBA and γ=ACB\gamma = \angle ACB. Therefore
DPPL=BDACBCAL=ABcosβACBCACsinγ=sinγcosβsinαsinγ=cosβsinα. \frac{DP}{PL} = \frac{BD \cdot AC}{BC \cdot AL} = \frac{AB \cos \beta \cdot AC}{BC \cdot AC \sin \gamma} = \frac{\sin \gamma \cos \beta}{\sin \alpha \sin \gamma} = \frac{\cos \beta}{\sin \alpha}.
On the other hand, since DK=KLDK = KL, KLX=πα\angle KLX = \pi - \alpha, and LXX=π2β\angle LXX = \frac{\pi}{2} - \beta, we have by the sine rule
Figure 1

Therefore
DPPL=cosβsinα=DKKX \frac{DP}{PL} = \frac{\cos \beta}{\sin \alpha} = \frac{DK}{KX}

Solution 2

Solution 2. Let ω\omega be the circle with center KK an radius KDKD, as in figure 19. Then ω\omega is tangent to ADAD and ALAL. Let BCBC intersect ω\omega at DD and QQ. Let BMBM intersect ω\omega at LL and RR. Let QPQP intersect BLBL at SS.
Cross-ratio chasing gives, through the projections BLDBL \to D-pencil ωL\to \omega \to L-pencil BCP\to BC \to P-pencil BL\to BL,
(L,R;M,B)=(DL,DR;DM,DB)=(L,R;D,Q)=(LC,LB;LD,LQ)=(C,B;D,Q)=(PC,PB;PD,PQ)=(M,B;L,S)=(L,S;M,B), \begin{aligned} (L, R; M, B) &= (DL, DR; DM, DB) = (L, R; D, Q) = (LC, LB; LD, LQ) \\ &= (C, B; D, Q) = (PC, PB; PD, PQ) = (M, B; L, S) = (L, S; M, B), \end{aligned}
therefore R=SR = S.
It is clear now that PP lies on the polar lines of both AA and BB with respect to ω\omega, therefore ABAB is the polar line of PP. This implies that PKABPK \perp AB.

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