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Geometry Difficulty 7.7 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Let ABCABC be an acute triangle, and AXAX, AYAY two isogonal lines. Also, suppose that KK, SS are the feet of perpendiculars from BB to AXAX, AYAY, and TT, LL are the feet of perpendiculars from CC to AXAX, AYAY respectively. Prove that KLKL and STST intersect on BCBC.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Denote ϕ=XAB^=YAC^\phi = \widehat{XAB} = \widehat{YAC}, α=CAX^=BAY^\alpha = \widehat{CAX} = \widehat{BAY}. Then, because the quadrilaterals ABSKABSK and ACTLACTL are cyclic, we have
BSK^+BAK^=180=BSK^+ϕ=LAC^+LTC^=LTC^+ϕ, \widehat{BSK} + \widehat{BAK} = 180^\circ = \widehat{BSK} + \phi = \widehat{LAC} + \widehat{LTC} = \widehat{LTC} + \phi,
so, due to the 90-degree angles formed, we have KSL^=KTL^\widehat{KSL} = \widehat{KTL}. Thus, KLSTKLST is cyclic.
Figure 1
Figure 6: G6
Consider MM to be the midpoint of BCBC and KK' to be the symmetric point of KK with respect to MM. Then, BKCKBKCK' is a parallelogram, and so BKCKBK \parallel CK'. But BKCTBK \parallel CT, because they are both perpendicular to AXAX. So, KK' lies on CTCT and, as KTK^=90\widehat{KTK'} = 90^\circ and MM is the midpoint of KKKK', MK=MTMK = MT. In a similar way, we have that MS=MLMS = ML. Thus, the center of (KLST)(KLST) is MM.
Consider DD to be the foot of altitude from AA to BCBC. Then, DD belongs in both (ABKS)(ABKS) and (ACLT)(ACLT). So,
ADT^+ACT^=180=ABS^+ADS^=ADT^+90α=ADS^+90α, \widehat{ADT} + \widehat{ACT} = 180^\circ = \widehat{ABS} + \widehat{ADS} = \widehat{ADT} + 90^\circ - \alpha = \widehat{ADS} + 90^\circ - \alpha,

and AD\overline{AD} is the bisector of SDT^\widehat{SDT}.
Because DMDM is perpendicular to ADAD, DMDM is the external bisector of this angle, and, as MS=MTMS = MT, it follows that DMSTDMST is cyclic. In a similar way, we have that DMLKDMLK is also cyclic.
So, we have that STST, KLKL and DMDM are the radical axes of these three circles, (KLST)(KLST), (DMST)(DMST), (DMKL)(DMKL). These lines are, therefore, concurrent, and we have proved the desired result. □

Solution 2

We continue after proving that MM is the center of (KLST)(KLST). If DD is the foot of perpendicular from AA to BCBC, then ASDKBASDKB is cyclic, as well as ATDLCATDLC. The radical axes of those two circles and (KLST)(KLST) are concurrent, thus KSKS and LTLT intersect on point QADQ \in AD. So, if PP is the intersection point of KLKL and TSTS, due to Brokard's theorem, AQAQ is perpendicular to MPMP. This is, of course, equivalent to proving that PP belongs on BCBC. □

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