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Selection Examinations for the IMO, 2013

Geometry Difficulty 8.4 Shortlist Prove it Slovenia

Let ABCDABCD be a parallelogram. Let EE and FF denote such points on the sides ABAB and BCBC that satisfy ∣AE∣=∣CF∣|AE| = |CF|. Let GG be obtained by reflection of the point EE through the point AA. Denote by MM the point of intersection of the lines AFAF and ECEC, and denote by NN the point of intersection of the lines AFAF and GCGC. Prove that ∠NDM=90∘\angle NDM = 90^\circ.

Solution

We prove that the lines DMDM and DNDN are the interior and the exterior bisector of the angle ∠ADC\angle ADC. Let XX be the point of intersection of the lines AFAF and CDCD.

Menelaus' theorem for the triangle EBCEBC and the collinear points A,MA, M and FF says
∣EA∣ ∣BF∣ ∣CM∣∣AB∣ ∣FC∣ ∣ME∣=1.(2) \frac{|EA| \ |BF| \ |CM|}{|AB| \ |FC| \ |ME|} = 1. \qquad (2)
Because AB∥CDAB \parallel CD, the triangles AEMAEM and XCMXCM have identical angles, hence they are similar and ∣CM∣∣ME∣=∣MX∣∣AM∣\frac{|CM|}{|ME|} = \frac{|MX|}{|AM|}. From ∣AE∣=∣FC∣|AE| = |FC| and (2) we now derive
∣BF∣∣AB∣=∣AM∣∣MX∣.(3) \frac{|BF|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AM|}{|MX|}. \qquad (3)
From AB∥CDAB \parallel CD we get ∠BAX=∠DXA\angle BAX = \angle DXA, and from AD∥BCAD \parallel BC we get ∠AFB=∠XAD\angle AFB = \angle XAD. The triangles ABFABF and XDAXDA are thus similar and ∣BF∣∣AB∣=∣AD∣∣DX∣\frac{|BF|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AD|}{|DX|}. From (3) we derive ∣AM∣∣MX∣=∣AD∣∣DX∣\frac{|AM|}{|MX|} = \frac{|AD|}{|DX|}, which means that DMDM is the interior bisector of ∠ADX\angle ADX.

An analogous proof follows for the exterior bisector. Menelaus' theorem for the triangle GBCGBC and the collinear points N,AN, A and FF says
∣GA∣ ∣BF∣ ∣CN∣∣AB∣ ∣FC∣ ∣NG∣=1.(4) \frac{|GA| \ |BF| \ |CN|}{|AB| \ |FC| \ |NG|} = 1. \qquad (4)
Because AB∥CDAB \parallel CD, the triangles AGNAGN and XCNXCN have identical angles, hence they are similar and ∣CN∣∣NG∣=∣NX∣∣AN∣\frac{|CN|}{|NG|} = \frac{|NX|}{|AN|}. From ∣AG∣=∣FC∣|AG| = |FC| and (4) we now derive
∣BF∣∣AB∣=∣AN∣∣NX∣.(5) \frac{|BF|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AN|}{|NX|}. \qquad (5)
From the ratio ∣BF∣∣AB∣=∣AD∣∣DX∣\frac{|BF|}{|AB|} = \frac{|AD|}{|DX|} we get ∣AN∣∣NX∣=∣AD∣∣DX∣\frac{|AN|}{|NX|} = \frac{|AD|}{|DX|}. Hence, DNDN is the exterior bisector of the angle ∠ADX\angle ADX.

Since the exterior and interior bisector are perpendicular, we have ∠NDM=90∘\angle NDM = 90^\circ.

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