Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /262 of 397

Geometry Difficulty 6.3 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let ABCDABCD be a convex quadrilateral, and suppose that sides BCBC and ADAD are not parallel. Suppose there is a point EE on side BCBC such that both quadrilaterals ABEDABED and AECDAECD have inscribed circles. Prove that there exists a point FF on side ADAD such that quadrilaterals ABCFABCF and BCDFBCDF both have inscribed circles if and only if ABAB is parallel to CDCD.

Solution

Let ω1,ω2\omega_1, \omega_2 be the inscribed circles of quadrilaterals ABEDABED, AECDAECD respectively, and let O1,O2O_1, O_2 be the centers of ω1,ω2\omega_1, \omega_2 respectively. A sufficient condition for the existence of a point FF as stated in the problem is that ω1,ω2\omega_1, \omega_2 are also the inscribed circles of quadrilaterals ABCFABCF, BCDFBCDF respectively.

From BB draw the tangent line to ω2\omega_2 other than BCBC, and from CC draw the tangent line to ω1\omega_1 other than BCBC; let these two tangent lines meet side ADAD at points F1,F2F_1, F_2 respectively. We need to prove that F1=F2F_1 = F_2 if and only if ABCDAB \parallel CD.

Lemma: Let ω1,ω2\omega_1, \omega_2 be two circles with centers O1,O2O_1, O_2 respectively, both inscribed in the same angle, and let the vertex of this angle be OO. Let points P,SP, S lie on one side of angle OO, and points Q,RQ, R lie on the other side of angle OO, and suppose ω1\omega_1 is the inscribed circle of triangle PQOPQO, and ω2\omega_2 is the excircle of triangle RSORSO opposite to angle OO. Let p=OO1OO2p = OO_1 \cdot OO_2. Then exactly one of the following relations holds:

OPOR<p<OQOS,OPOR>p>OQOS,OPOR=p=OQOS. OP \cdot OR < p < OQ \cdot OS, \quad OP \cdot OR > p > OQ \cdot OS, \quad OP \cdot OR = p = OQ \cdot OS.

Proof of the lemma: Let OPO1=α,OQO1=β,OO2R=γ,OO2S=δ\angle OPO_1 = \alpha, \angle OQO_1 = \beta, \angle OO_2R = \gamma, \angle OO_2S = \delta, POQ=2φ\angle POQ = 2\varphi. Since segments PO1,QO1,RO2,SO2PO_1, QO_1, RO_2, SO_2 are respectively the internal or external angle bisectors of triangles PQO,RSOPQO, RSO, we have
u+v=x+y(=90φ).(1) u + v = x + y(= 90^\circ - \varphi). \qquad (1)
By the law of sines,
OPOO1=sin(u+φ)sinuandOO2OR=sin(x+φ)sinx. \frac{OP}{OO_1} = \frac{\sin(u + \varphi)}{\sin u} \quad \text{and} \quad \frac{OO_2}{OR} = \frac{\sin(x + \varphi)}{\sin x}.
Since x,u,φx, u, \varphi are all acute angles,
OPORpOPOO1OO2ORsinxsin(u+φ)sinusin(x+φ)sin(xu)0xu. \begin{aligned} OP \cdot OR \ge p & \Leftrightarrow \frac{OP}{OO_1} \ge \frac{OO_2}{OR} & \Leftrightarrow \sin x \sin(u + \varphi) \ge \sin u \sin(x + \varphi) \\ & \Leftrightarrow \sin(x - u) \ge 0 & \Leftrightarrow x \ge u. \end{aligned}
Thus OPORpOP \cdot OR \ge p is equivalent to xux \ge u, and OPOR=pOP \cdot OR = p if and only if x=ux = u.
Similarly, we can prove that pOQOSp \ge OQ \cdot OS is equivalent to vyv \ge y, and p=OQOSp = OQ \cdot OS if and only if v=yv = y. On the other hand, from (1) we know that xux \ge u and vyv \ge y are equivalent, and x=ux = u is equivalent to v=yv = y. This proves the lemma.

Figure 1

Returning to the problem itself, we apply the lemma to the following groups of four points: {B,E,D,F1}\{B, E, D, F_1\}, {A,B,C,D}\{A, B, C, D\}, {A,E,C,F2}\{A, E, C, F_2\}. First suppose OEOF1>pOE \cdot OF_1 > p; then we obtain
OEOF1>pOBOD<pOAOC>pOEOF2<p. OE \cdot OF_1 > p \Rightarrow OB \cdot OD < p \Rightarrow OA \cdot OC > p \Rightarrow OE \cdot OF_2 < p.

In other words, OEOF1>pOE \cdot OF_1 > p implies
OBOD<p<OAOCandOEOF1>p>OEOF2OB \cdot OD < p < OA \cdot OC \quad \text{and} \quad OE \cdot OF_1 > p > OE \cdot OF_2.
Similarly, if we suppose OEOF1<pOE \cdot OF_1 < p, then we obtain
OBOD>p>OAOCandOEOF1<p<OEOF2OB \cdot OD > p > OA \cdot OC \quad \text{and} \quad OE \cdot OF_1 < p < OE \cdot OF_2.
In these cases, F1F2F_1 \neq F_2, and moreover OBODOAOCOB \cdot OD \neq OA \cdot OC, so ABAB and CDCD are not parallel.
Finally, there remains the case OEOF1=pOE \cdot OF_1 = p. In this case, the lemma implies that OBOD=p=OAOCOB \cdot OD = p = OA \cdot OC and OEOF1=p=OEOF2OE \cdot OF_1 = p = OE \cdot OF_2. Therefore F1=F2F_1 = F_2 and ABCDAB \parallel CD.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.