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Geometry Difficulty 8.9 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let PP be a point inside triangle ABCABC. Let APAP meet BCBC at A1A_{1}, let BPBP meet CACA at B1B_{1}, and let CPCP meet ABAB at C1C_{1}. Let A2A_{2} be the point such that A1A_{1} is the midpoint of PA2PA_{2}, let B2B_{2} be the point such that B1B_{1} is the midpoint of PB2PB_{2}, and let C2C_{2} be the point such that C1C_{1} is the midpoint of PC2PC_{2}. Prove that points A2,B2A_{2}, B_{2}, and C2C_{2} cannot all lie strictly inside the circumcircle of triangle ABCABC.

Solution

Solution 1. Since
∠APB+∠BPC+∠CPA=2π=(π−∠ACB)+(π−∠BAC)+(π−∠CBA), \angle APB + \angle BPC + \angle CPA = 2\pi = (\pi - \angle ACB) + (\pi - \angle BAC) + (\pi - \angle CBA),
at least one of the following inequalities holds:
∠APB⩾π−∠ACB,∠BPC⩾π−∠BAC,∠CPA⩾π−∠CBA. \angle APB \geqslant \pi - \angle ACB, \quad \angle BPC \geqslant \pi - \angle BAC, \quad \angle CPA \geqslant \pi - \angle CBA.
Without loss of generality, we assume that ∠BPC⩾π−∠BAC\angle BPC \geqslant \pi - \angle BAC. We have ∠BPC>∠BAC\angle BPC > \angle BAC because PP is inside △ABC\triangle ABC. So ∠BPC⩾max⁡(∠BAC,π−∠BAC)\angle BPC \geqslant \max (\angle BAC, \pi - \angle BAC) and hence
sin⁡∠BPC⩽sin⁡∠BAC. \begin{equation*} \sin \angle BPC \leqslant \sin \angle BAC. \tag{*} \end{equation*}
Let the rays AP,BPAP, BP, and CPCP cross the circumcircle Ω\Omega again at A3,B3A_{3}, B_{3}, and C3C_{3}, respectively. We will prove that at least one of the ratios PB1B1B3\frac{PB_{1}}{B_{1}B_{3}} and PC1C1C3\frac{PC_{1}}{C_{1}C_{3}} is at least 1, which yields that one of the points B2B_{2} and C2C_{2} does not lie strictly inside Ω\Omega.
Because A,B,C,B3A, B, C, B_{3} lie on a circle, the triangles CB1B3CB_{1}B_{3} and BB1ABB_{1}A are similar, so
CB1B1B3=BB1B1A. \frac{CB_{1}}{B_{1}B_{3}} = \frac{BB_{1}}{B_{1}A}.
Applying the sine rule we obtain
PB1B1B3=PB1CB1⋅CB1B1B3=PB1CB1⋅BB1B1A=sin⁡∠ACPsin⁡∠BPC⋅sin⁡∠BACsin⁡∠PBA. \frac{PB_{1}}{B_{1}B_{3}} = \frac{PB_{1}}{CB_{1}} \cdot \frac{CB_{1}}{B_{1}B_{3}} = \frac{PB_{1}}{CB_{1}} \cdot \frac{BB_{1}}{B_{1}A} = \frac{\sin \angle ACP}{\sin \angle BPC} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle BAC}{\sin \angle PBA}.
Similarly,
PC1C1C3=sin⁡∠PBAsin⁡∠BPC⋅sin⁡∠BACsin⁡∠ACP. \frac{PC_{1}}{C_{1}C_{3}} = \frac{\sin \angle PBA}{\sin \angle BPC} \cdot \frac{\sin \angle BAC}{\sin \angle ACP}.
Multiplying these two equations we get
PB1B1B3⋅PC1C1C3=sin⁡2∠BACsin⁡2∠BPC⩾1 \frac{PB_{1}}{B_{1}B_{3}} \cdot \frac{PC_{1}}{C_{1}C_{3}} = \frac{\sin^{2} \angle BAC}{\sin^{2} \angle BPC} \geqslant 1
using (*), which yields the desired conclusion.

Solution 2. Define points A3,B3A_{3}, B_{3}, and C3C_{3} as in Solution 1. Assume for the sake of contradiction that A2,B2A_{2}, B_{2}, and C2C_{2} all lie strictly inside circle ABCABC. It follows that PA1<A1A3PA_{1} < A_{1}A_{3}, PB1<B1B3PB_{1} < B_{1}B_{3}, and PC1<C1C3PC_{1} < C_{1}C_{3}.
Observe that △PBC3∼△PCB3\triangle PBC_{3} \sim \triangle PCB_{3}. Let XX be the point on side PB3PB_{3} that corresponds to point C1C_{1} on side PC3PC_{3} under this similarity. In other words, XX lies on segment PB3PB_{3} and satisfies PX:XB3=PC1:C1C3PX : XB_{3} = PC_{1} : C_{1}C_{3}. It follows that
∠XCP=∠PBC1=∠B3BA=∠B3CB1 \angle XCP = \angle PBC_{1} = \angle B_{3}BA = \angle B_{3}CB_{1}
Hence lines CXCX and CB1CB_{1} are isogonal conjugates in △PCB3\triangle PCB_{3}.
Figure 1
Let YY be the foot of the bisector of ∠B3CP\angle B_{3}CP in △PCB3\triangle PCB_{3}. Since PC1<C1C3PC_{1} < C_{1}C_{3}, we have PX<XB3PX < XB_{3}. Also, we have PY<YB3PY < YB_{3} because PB1<B1B3PB_{1} < B_{1}B_{3} and YY lies between XX and B1B_{1}. By the angle bisector theorem in △PCB3\triangle PCB_{3}, we have PY:YB3=PC:CB3PY : YB_{3} = PC : CB_{3}. So PC<CB3PC < CB_{3} and it follows that ∠PB3C<∠CPB3\angle PB_{3}C < \angle CPB_{3}. Now since ∠PB3C=∠BB3C=∠BAC\angle PB_{3}C = \angle BB_{3}C = \angle BAC, we have
∠BAC<∠CPB3. \angle BAC < \angle CPB_{3}.
Similarly, we have
∠CBA<∠APC3and∠ACB<∠BPA3=∠B3PA. \angle CBA < \angle APC_{3} \quad \text{and} \quad \angle ACB < \angle BPA_{3} = \angle B_{3}PA.
Adding these three inequalities yields π<π\pi < \pi, and this contradiction concludes the proof.

Solution 3. Choose coordinates such that the circumcentre of △ABC\triangle ABC is at the origin and the circumradius is 1. Then we may think of A,BA, B, and CC as vectors in R2\mathbb{R}^{2} such that
∣A∣2=∣B∣2=∣C∣2=1. |A|^{2} = |B|^{2} = |C|^{2} = 1.
PP may be represented as a convex combination αA+βB+γC\alpha A + \beta B + \gamma C where α,β,γ>0\alpha, \beta, \gamma > 0 and α+β+γ=1\alpha + \beta + \gamma = 1. Then
A1=βB+γCβ+γ=11−αP−α1−αA, A_{1} = \frac{\beta B + \gamma C}{\beta + \gamma} = \frac{1}{1-\alpha} P - \frac{\alpha}{1-\alpha} A,
so
A2=2A1−P=1+α1−αP−2α1−αA A_{2} = 2A_{1} - P = \frac{1+\alpha}{1-\alpha} P - \frac{2\alpha}{1-\alpha} A
Hence
∣A2∣2=(1+α1−α)2∣P∣2+(2α1−α)2∣A∣2−4α(1+α)(1−α)2A⋅P. |A_{2}|^{2} = \left(\frac{1+\alpha}{1-\alpha}\right)^{2} |P|^{2} + \left(\frac{2\alpha}{1-\alpha}\right)^{2} |A|^{2} - \frac{4\alpha(1+\alpha)}{(1-\alpha)^{2}} A \cdot P.
Using ∣A∣2=1|A|^{2} = 1 we obtain
(1−α)22(1+α)∣A2∣2=1+α2∣P∣2+2α21+α−2αA⋅P. \begin{equation*} \frac{(1-\alpha)^{2}}{2(1+\alpha)} |A_{2}|^{2} = \frac{1+\alpha}{2} |P|^{2} + \frac{2\alpha^{2}}{1+\alpha} - 2\alpha A \cdot P. \tag{1} \end{equation*}
Likewise
(1−β)22(1+β)∣B2∣2=1+β2∣P∣2+2β21+β−2βB⋅P \begin{equation*} \frac{(1-\beta)^{2}}{2(1+\beta)} |B_{2}|^{2} = \frac{1+\beta}{2} |P|^{2} + \frac{2\beta^{2}}{1+\beta} - 2\beta B \cdot P \tag{2} \end{equation*}
and
(1−γ)22(1+γ)∣C2∣2=1+γ2∣P∣2+2γ21+γ−2γC⋅P. \begin{equation*} \frac{(1-\gamma)^{2}}{2(1+\gamma)} |C_{2}|^{2} = \frac{1+\gamma}{2} |P|^{2} + \frac{2\gamma^{2}}{1+\gamma} - 2\gamma C \cdot P. \tag{3} \end{equation*}
Summing (1), (2) and (3) we obtain on the LHS the positive linear combination
LHS=(1−α)22(1+α)∣A2∣2+(1−β)22(1+β)∣B2∣2+(1−γ)22(1+γ)∣C2∣2 \mathrm{LHS} = \frac{(1-\alpha)^{2}}{2(1+\alpha)} |A_{2}|^{2} + \frac{(1-\beta)^{2}}{2(1+\beta)} |B_{2}|^{2} + \frac{(1-\gamma)^{2}}{2(1+\gamma)} |C_{2}|^{2}
and on the RHS the quantity
(1+α2+1+β2+1+γ2)∣P∣2+(2α21+α+2β21+β+2γ21+γ)−2(αA⋅P+βB⋅P+γC⋅P). \left(\frac{1+\alpha}{2} + \frac{1+\beta}{2} + \frac{1+\gamma}{2}\right) |P|^{2} + \left(\frac{2\alpha^{2}}{1+\alpha} + \frac{2\beta^{2}}{1+\beta} + \frac{2\gamma^{2}}{1+\gamma}\right) - 2(\alpha A \cdot P + \beta B \cdot P + \gamma C \cdot P).
The first term is 2∣P∣22|P|^{2} and the last term is −2P⋅P-2P \cdot P, so
RHS=(2α21+α+2β21+β+2γ21+γ)=3α−12+(1−α)22(1+α)+3β−12+(1−β)22(1+β)+3γ−12+(1−γ)22(1+γ)=(1−α)22(1+α)+(1−β)22(1+β)+(1−γ)22(1+γ) \begin{aligned} \mathrm{RHS} & = \left(\frac{2\alpha^{2}}{1+\alpha} + \frac{2\beta^{2}}{1+\beta} + \frac{2\gamma^{2}}{1+\gamma}\right) \\ & = \frac{3\alpha-1}{2} + \frac{(1-\alpha)^{2}}{2(1+\alpha)} + \frac{3\beta-1}{2} + \frac{(1-\beta)^{2}}{2(1+\beta)} + \frac{3\gamma-1}{2} + \frac{(1-\gamma)^{2}}{2(1+\gamma)} \\ & = \frac{(1-\alpha)^{2}}{2(1+\alpha)} + \frac{(1-\beta)^{2}}{2(1+\beta)} + \frac{(1-\gamma)^{2}}{2(1+\gamma)} \end{aligned}
Here we used the fact that
3α−12+3β−12+3γ−12=0. \frac{3\alpha-1}{2} + \frac{3\beta-1}{2} + \frac{3\gamma-1}{2} = 0.
We have shown that a linear combination of ∣A2∣2,∣B2∣2|A_{2}|^{2}, |B_{2}|^{2}, and ∣C2∣2|C_{2}|^{2} with positive coefficients is equal to the sum of the coefficients. Therefore at least one of ∣A2∣2,∣B2∣2|A_{2}|^{2}, |B_{2}|^{2}, and ∣C2∣2|C_{2}|^{2} must be at least 1, as required.

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