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Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it United States

Let ABCABC be a scalene triangle with BCA=90\angle BCA = 90^\circ, and let DD be the foot of the altitude from CC. Let XX be a point in the interior of the segment CDCD. Let KK be the point on the segment AXAX such that BK=BCBK = BC. Similarly, let LL be the point on the segment BXBX such that AL=ACAL = AC. The circumcircle of triangle DKLDKL intersects segment ABAB at a second point TT (other than DD). Prove that ACT=BCT\angle ACT = \angle BCT.

Solution

Let TT' be the point on ABAB such that ACT=BCT\angle ACT' = \angle BCT'. Let ω\omega be the circle centered at TT' tangent to segments ACAC and BCBC, and denote the points of tangency to ACAC and BCBC by MM and NN respectively. Note that ω\omega exists because CTCT' is an angle bisector.

Figure 1

Lemma 1. If RDTSRDT'S is cyclic and RR and SS are on the boundary of ω\omega, then BRBR, ASAS, and CDCD concur.

Proof. Let PP be the intersection of the lines tangent to ω\omega that intersect RR and SS. Since TSP=TPP=90\angle T'SP = \angle T'PP = 90^\circ, PRSTPRST' is cyclic. Since we assumed RDTSRDT'S is cyclic, then PRDTSPRDT'S is cyclic. Thus TDP=90\angle T'DP = 90^\circ. Thus PP is on CDCD. Now, let MM and NN meet at CC. If MNMN and RSRS meet at QQ, PCPC is the polar of QQ, so MSMS and RNRN lie on PQPQ. Let MNMN and RNRN meet at GG.

By the law of sines, we have
(sinCASsinSAB)(sinRBAsinRBC)=MSsinAMGASSDsinADSASRDsinRDBRBRNsinBNGRB=MSSDRDRNsinAMGsinBNGsinRDBsinSDA=sinMDSsinSMDsinRNDsinRDNsinCMGsinCNGsinRDAsinSDB=sinRNDsinSMDsinCMGsinCNGsinMDSsinRDNsinRDAsinSDB. \begin{aligned} \left( \frac{\sin \angle CAS}{\sin \angle SAB} \right) \cdot \left( \frac{\sin \angle RBA}{\sin \angle RBC} \right) &= \frac{\frac{MS \sin \angle AMG}{AS}}{\frac{SD \sin \angle ADS}{AS}} \cdot \frac{\frac{RD \sin \angle RDB}{RB}}{\frac{RN \sin \angle BNG}{RB}} \\ &= \frac{MS}{SD} \cdot \frac{RD}{RN} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle AMG}{\sin \angle BNG} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RDB}{\sin \angle SDA} \\ &= \frac{\sin \angle MDS}{\sin \angle SMD} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RND}{\sin \angle RDN} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle CMG}{\sin \angle CNG} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RDA}{\sin \angle SDB} \\ &= \frac{\sin \angle RND}{\sin \angle SMD} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle CMG}{\sin \angle CNG} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle MDS}{\sin \angle RDN} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RDA}{\sin \angle SDB}. \end{aligned}

Denote this expression by SS. For convenience, let x=sinMDSsinRDNsinRDAsinSDBx = \frac{\sin \angle MDS}{\sin \angle RDN} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RDA}{\sin \angle SDB}. Then, we have
S=sinRNDsinSMDsinCMGsinCNGx=GDsinCDNGNGDsinCDMGMCGsinMCDMGCGsinNCDNGx=sinCDNsinNCDsinMCDsinCDMx=CNDNDMCMx=DMDNx=CDsinACDsinDMCCDsinBCDsinDNCx=sinACDsinBCDsinDNCsinDMCx. \begin{aligned} S &= \frac{\sin \angle RND}{\sin \angle SMD} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle CMG}{\sin \angle CNG} x = \frac{\frac{GD \cdot \sin \angle CDN}{GN}}{\frac{GD \sin \angle CDM}{GM}} \cdot \frac{\frac{CG \cdot \sin \angle MCD}{MG}}{\frac{CG \sin \angle NCD}{NG}} x = \frac{\sin \angle CDN}{\sin \angle NCD} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle MCD}{\sin \angle CDM} x \\ &= \frac{CN}{DN} \cdot \frac{DM}{CM} x = \frac{DM}{DN} x = \frac{\frac{CD \sin \angle ACD}{\sin \angle DMC}}{\frac{CD \sin \angle BCD}{\sin \angle DNC}} x = \frac{\sin \angle ACD}{\sin \angle BCD} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle DNC}{\sin \angle DMC} x. \end{aligned}
Since TNC=TMC=TDC=90\angle T'NC = \angle T'MC = \angle T'DC = 90^\circ, CMDNCMDN is cyclic, so DNC=180DMC\angle DNC = 180^\circ - \angle DMC, and
MDC=MNC=NMC=NDC. \angle MDC = \angle MNC = \angle NMC = \angle NDC.
Further, notice that
RDA=RST=SRT=SDB \angle RDA = \angle RST' = \angle SRT' = \angle SDB
because TR=TST'R = T'S. Hence, we conclude that
MDS=MDC+90SDB=NDC+90RDA=RDN. \angle MDS = \angle MDC + 90^\circ - \angle SDB = \angle NDC + 90^\circ - \angle RDA = \angle RDN.
Therefore x=sinMDSsinRDNsinRDAsinSDB=1x = \frac{\sin \angle MDS}{\sin \angle RDN} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle RDA}{\sin \angle SDB} = 1, so we have
(sinCASsinSAB)(sinRBAsinRBC)(sinBCDsinACD)=1, \left( \frac{\sin \angle CAS}{\sin \angle SAB} \right) \cdot \left( \frac{\sin \angle RBA}{\sin \angle RBC} \right) \cdot \left( \frac{\sin \angle BCD}{\sin \angle ACD} \right) = 1,
which implies that lines ASAS, RBRB, and CDCD concur by trig Ceva. This concludes the proof of the lemma. \square

Denote the intersection point of BXBX and ω\omega farther from BB by RR, and let the circumcircle of RDTRDT' meet ω\omega again at SS. By Lemma 1, ASAS and BRBR meet on CDCD, so AA, SS, and KK are collinear. Let ωA\omega_A and ωB\omega_B be the circles centered at AA, BB with radii ACAC and BCBC respectively. Let AKAK meet ωB\omega_B again at SS', and let BLBL meet ωA\omega_A again at RR'.

A homothety centered at BB takes ω\omega to ωA\omega_A, so
BRBR=BNBC=BTBA=aa+b. \frac{BR}{BR'} = \frac{BN}{BC} = \frac{BT'}{BA} = \frac{a}{a+b}.
Thus BLBR=aa+bBLBR=aa+bBC2=a3a+bBL \cdot BR = \frac{a}{a+b} \cdot BL \cdot BR' = \frac{a}{a+b} \cdot BC^2 = \frac{a^3}{a+b} and BTBD=c(aa+b)(ca2a2+b2)=a3a+bBT' \cdot BD = c\left(\frac{a}{a+b}\right) \cdot \left(c \cdot \frac{a^2}{a^2+b^2}\right) = \frac{a^3}{a+b}. Thus BLRDTBLRDT' is cyclic, and similarly SKDTSKDT' is cyclic. Since LRDTLRDT', KDTSKDT'S, and RDTSRDT'S are cyclic, then LRDTSKLRDT'SK is cyclic, so RDTSRDT'S is cyclic. Therefore T=TT = T', as desired.

Figure 1

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