Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

The largest angle of triangle ABCABC is located at its vertex CC. Let ρ\rho be the circle with centre AA and radius ACAC, and let σ\sigma be the circle with centre BB and radius BCBC. The circle σ\sigma intersects the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC and the circle ρ\rho at points DD and FF, respectively (DCD \neq C, FCF \neq C). Prove that AA, DD and FF are collinear.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Denote BAC=α\angle BAC = \alpha (Figures 7 and 8 present two possible cases). Note that AC=AFAC = AF and BC=BFBC = BF as they are radii of circles ρ\rho and σ\sigma, respectively. Thus the triangles ABFABF and ABCABC are equal by three equal sides. Hence BAF=α\angle BAF = \alpha. From equal radii of σ\sigma, we also obtain BD=BCBD = BC. Now by inscribed angles subtending equal chords of the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC, we get BAD=α\angle BAD = \alpha. Consequently, points AA, DD and FF lie on one line.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Solution 2

From the inscribed angles of the circumcircle of the triangle ABCABC, we get ADC=ABC\angle ADC = \angle ABC. As in Solution 1, we can show that the triangles ABFABF and ABCABC are equal; thus ABC=ABF=CBF2\angle ABC = \angle ABF = \frac{\angle CBF}{2}. If DD and AA lie on the same side of the line CFCF (Fig. 9) then CBF2=180CDF\frac{\angle CBF}{2} = 180^\circ - \angle CDF by the inscribed angle theorem. If DD and AA lie on different sides of the line CFCF (Fig. 10) then, analogously, CBF2=CDF\frac{\angle CBF}{2} = \angle CDF. Altogether, we have either ADC=180CDF\angle ADC = 180^\circ - \angle CDF while DD and AA being on different sides of CFCF or ADC=CDF\angle ADC = \angle CDF while DD and AA being on different sides of CFCF. In both cases, the obtained equality implies that AA, DD and FF lie on the same line.

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