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Geometry Difficulty 4.4 AIME Prove it Turkey

In an equilateral triangle ABCABC, the point XX on the segment [BC][BC] and the points YY, ZZ on the rays [BA[BA and [CA[CA, respectively, are given such that AXAX, BZBZ, CYCY are parallel. Let XYXY intersect ACAC at MM, and let XZXZ intersect ABAB at NN. Show that MNMN is tangent to the incircle of ABCABC.

Solution

AXBZAX \parallel BZ implies ANNB=AXBZ=CXCB\frac{AN}{NB} = \frac{AX}{BZ} = \frac{CX}{CB}, and AXCYAX \parallel CY implies AMMC=AXCY=BXBC\frac{AM}{MC} = \frac{AX}{CY} = \frac{BX}{BC}. Hence,
ANNB+AMMC=CXCB+BXBC=1.(1) \frac{AN}{NB} + \frac{AM}{MC} = \frac{CX}{CB} + \frac{BX}{BC} = 1. \quad (1)
Now let aa denote the sidelength of ABCABC. Using (1), one finds
a2NBMC=(1+ANNB)(1+AMMC)=2+ANAMNBMC, \frac{a^2}{NB \cdot MC} = \left(1 + \frac{AN}{NB}\right) \left(1 + \frac{AM}{MC}\right) = 2 + \frac{AN \cdot AM}{NB \cdot MC},
Therefore,
ANAM=a22NBMC.(2) AN \cdot AM = a^2 - 2 \cdot NB \cdot MC. \quad (2)
Now the Law of Cosines implies MN2=AM2+AN2AMANMN^2 = AM^2 + AN^2 - AM \cdot AN which together with (2) gives
MN2=AM2+AN2a2+2NBMC=(aNB)2+(aMC)2a2+2NBMC=(NB+MCa)2. \begin{aligned} MN^2 &= AM^2 + AN^2 - a^2 + 2 \cdot NB \cdot MC \\ &= (a - NB)^2 + (a - MC)^2 - a^2 + 2 \cdot NB \cdot MC \\ &= (NB + MC - a)^2. \end{aligned}
Hence, MN=NB+MCaMN = NB + MC - a (it can be easily seen by (2) that NB+MCa>0NB + MC - a > 0). Finally MN+BC=NB+MCMN + BC = NB + MC implies that the quadrilateral MNBCMNBC has an incircle, thus the incircle of ABCABC is tangent to the segment MNMN. Done.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.