In acute triangle ABC, points D and E are the feet of the perpendiculars from A to BC and B to CA, respectively. Segment AD is a diameter of circle ω. Circle ω intersects sides AC and AB at F and G (other than A), respectively. Segment BE intersects segments GD and GF at X and Y respectively. Ray DY intersects side AB at Z. Prove that lines XZ and BC are perpendicular.
Solutions — 2
Solution 1
We have ∠AFG=∠ADG since AGDF is cyclic. On the other hand ∠DGA=∠AFD=90∘, since AD is a diameter. We deduce that triangles AGD and ADB are similar, and therefore ∠AFG=∠CBA.
Because ∠AEB=∠ADB=90∘, quadrilateral ABDE is cyclic. Therefore ∠DEB=∠CBA=∠EFY. But ∠EFD=∠YEF=90∘. We deduce that DFEY is a rectangle and therefore BY is an altitude in triangle BDZ. Line segment DG is also an altitude in triangle BDZ which intersects BY at X. We deduce that ZX and BC are perpendicular.
Solution 2
Because ∠ADB=∠AEB=90∘, the quadrilateral ABDE is cyclic. Therefore, the projections of the point D on the lines AB,BE, and EA are collinear (Simson line). But G and F are the projections of D on lines AB and EA, respectively, since AD is a diameter of the circle ω. Then the projection of D on BE is Y, the intersection point of BE with GF. Therefore, BY is perpendicular to DZ. Hence, in triangle BDZ, line segments BY and DG are altitudes and intersect at X. Thus ZX is also an altitude and therefore ZX and BC are perpendicular.
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