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IMO Shortlist, 2016

Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let DD be the foot of perpendicular from AA to the Euler line (the line passing through the circumcentre and the orthocentre) of an acute scalene triangle ABCA B C. A circle ω\omega with centre SS passes through AA and DD, and it intersects sides ABA B and ACA C at XX and YY respectively. Let PP be the foot of altitude from AA to BCB C, and let MM be the midpoint of BCB C. Prove that the circumcentre of triangle XSYX S Y is equidistant from PP and MM.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Let the perpendicular from SS to XYX Y meet line QMQ M at S′S'. Let EE be the foot of altitude from BB to side ACA C. Since QQ and SS lie on the perpendicular bisector of ADA D, using directed angles, we have
∡SDQ=∡QAS=∡XAS−∡XAQ=(π2−∡AYX)−∡BAP=∡CBA−∡AYX=(∡CBA−∡ACB)−∡BCA−∡AYX=∡PEM−(∡BCA+∡AYX)=∡PQM−∡(BC,XY)=π2−∡(S′Q,BC)−∡(BC,XY)=∡SS′Q \begin{aligned} \measuredangle S D Q & =\measuredangle Q A S=\measuredangle X A S-\measuredangle X A Q=\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-\measuredangle A Y X\right)-\measuredangle B A P=\measuredangle C B A-\measuredangle A Y X \\ & =(\measuredangle C B A-\measuredangle A C B)-\measuredangle B C A-\measuredangle A Y X=\measuredangle P E M-(\measuredangle B C A+\measuredangle A Y X) \\ & =\measuredangle P Q M-\measuredangle(B C, X Y)=\frac{\pi}{2}-\measuredangle\left(S' Q, B C\right)-\measuredangle(B C, X Y)=\measuredangle S S' Q \end{aligned}
This shows D,S′,S,QD, S', S, Q are concyclic.

Figure 1

Let the perpendicular from NN to BCB C intersect line SS′S S' at O1O_1. (Note that the two lines coincide when SS is the midpoint of AOA O, in which case the result is true since the circumcentre of triangle XSYX S Y must lie on this line.) It suffices to show that O1O_1 is the circumcentre of triangle XSYX S Y since NN lies on the perpendicular bisector of PMP M. From
∡DS′O1=∡DQS=∡SQA=∠(SQ,QA)=∠(OD,O1N)=∡DNO1 \measuredangle D S' O_1=\measuredangle D Q S=\measuredangle S Q A=\angle(S Q, Q A)=\angle\left(O D, O_1 N\right)=\measuredangle D N O_1
since SQ∥ODS Q \parallel O D and QA∥O1NQ A \parallel O_1 N, we know that D,O1,S′,ND, O_1, S', N are concyclic. Therefore, we get
∡SDS′=∡SQS′=∠(SQ,QS′)=∠(ND,NS′)=∡DNS′ \measuredangle S D S'=\measuredangle S Q S'=\angle\left(S Q, Q S'\right)=\angle\left(N D, N S'\right)=\measuredangle D N S'
so that SDS D is a tangent to the circle through D,O1,S′,ND, O_1, S', N. Then we have
SS′⋅SO1=SD2=SX2 \begin{equation*} S S' \cdot S O_1=S D^2=S X^2 \tag{1} \end{equation*}
Next, we show that SS and S′S' are symmetric with respect to XYX Y. By the Sine Law, we have
SS′sin⁡∠SQS′=SQsin⁡∠SS′Q=SQsin⁡∠SDQ=SQsin⁡∠SAQ=SAsin⁡∠SQA. \frac{S S'}{\sin \angle S Q S'}=\frac{S Q}{\sin \angle S S' Q}=\frac{S Q}{\sin \angle S D Q}=\frac{S Q}{\sin \angle S A Q}=\frac{S A}{\sin \angle S Q A} .
It follows that
SS′=SA⋅sin⁡∠SQS′sin⁡∠SQA=SA⋅sin⁡∠HOAsin⁡∠OHA=SA⋅AHAO=SA⋅2cos⁡A, S S'=S A \cdot \frac{\sin \angle S Q S'}{\sin \angle S Q A}=S A \cdot \frac{\sin \angle H O A}{\sin \angle O H A}=S A \cdot \frac{A H}{A O}=S A \cdot 2 \cos A,
which is twice the distance from SS to XYX Y. Note that SS and CC lie on the same side of the perpendicular bisector of PMP M if and only if ∠SAC<∠OAC\angle S A C<\angle O A C if and only if ∠YXA>∠CBA\angle Y X A>\angle C B A. This shows SS and O1O_1 lie on different sides of XYX Y. As S′S' lies on ray SO1S O_1, it follows that SS and S′S' cannot lie on the same side of XYX Y. Therefore, SS and S′S' are symmetric with respect to XYX Y.
Let dd be the diameter of the circumcircle of triangle XSYX S Y. As SS′S S' is twice the distance from SS to XYX Y and SX=SYS X=S Y, we have SS′=2SX2dS S'=2 \frac{S X^2}{d}. It follows from (1) that d=2SO1d=2 S O_1. As SO1S O_1 is the perpendicular bisector of XYX Y, point O1O_1 is the circumcentre of triangle XSYX S Y.

Solution 2

Denote the orthocentre and circumcentre of triangle ABCA B C by HH and OO respectively. Let O1O_1 be the circumcentre of triangle XSYX S Y. Consider two other possible positions of SS. We name them S′S' and S′′S'' and define the analogous points X′,Y′,O1′,X′′,Y′′O1′′X', Y', O_1', X'', Y'' O_1'' accordingly. Note that S,S′,S′′S, S', S'' lie on the perpendicular bisector of ADA D.
As XX′X X' and YY′Y Y' meet at AA and the circumcircles of triangles AXYA X Y and AX′Y′A X' Y' meet at DD, there is a spiral similarity with centre DD mapping XYX Y to X′Y′X' Y'. We find that
∡SXY=π2−∡YAX=π2−∡Y′AX′=∡S′X′Y′ \measuredangle S X Y=\frac{\pi}{2}-\measuredangle Y A X=\frac{\pi}{2}-\measuredangle Y' A X'=\measuredangle S' X' Y'
and similarly ∡SYX=∡S′Y′X′\measuredangle S Y X=\measuredangle S' Y' X'. This shows triangles SXYS X Y and S′X′Y′S' X' Y' are directly similar. Then the spiral similarity with centre DD takes points S,X,Y,O1S, X, Y, O_1 to S′,X′,Y′,O1′S', X', Y', O_1'. Similarly, there is a spiral similarity with centre DD mapping S,X,Y,O1S, X, Y, O_1 to S′′,X′′,Y′′,O1′′S'', X'', Y'', O_1''. From these, we see that there is a spiral similarity taking the corresponding points S,S′,S′′S, S', S'' to points O1,O1′,O1′′O_1, O_1', O_1''. In particular, O1,O1′,O1′′O_1, O_1', O_1'' are collinear.

Figure 2

It now suffices to show that O1O_1 lies on the perpendicular bisector of PMP M for two special cases.
Firstly, we take SS to be the midpoint of AHA H. Then XX and YY are the feet of altitudes from CC and BB respectively. It is well-known that the circumcircle of triangle XSYX S Y is the nine-point circle of triangle ABCA B C. Then O1O_1 is the nine-point centre and O1P=O1MO_1 P=O_1 M. Indeed, PP and MM also lies on the nine-point circle.
Secondly, we take S′S' to be the midpoint of AOA O. Then X′X' and Y′Y' are the midpoints of ABA B and ACA C respectively. Then X′Y′∥BCX' Y' \parallel B C. Clearly, S′S' lies on the perpendicular bisector of PMP M. This shows the perpendicular bisectors of X′Y′X' Y' and PMP M coincide. Hence, we must have O1′P=O1′MO_1' P=O_1' M.

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