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Geometry Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it Ukraine

A straight line that contains the center of rectilinear triangle ABCABC intersects straight lines ABAB, BCBC and CACA in points C1C_1, A1A_1 and B1B_1 respectively. Let A2A_2 be the symmetric point to A1A_1 about the middle of BCBC; points B2B_2 and C2C_2 are defined in a similar manner. Prove that points A2A_2, B2B_2 and C2C_2 are on a line that touches the circle inscribed in the triangle ABCABC.

(Serdiuk Nazar)

Figure 1

Fig. 25

Solution

Let points B1B_1 and C1C_1 be on the sides, and A1A_1 is on the extension of the side BCBC in direction of point BB. By the Menelaus' theorem
CB2 AC2 BA2B2A C2B A2C=AB1 BC1 CA1B1C C1A A1B=1, \frac{CB_2 \ AC_2 \ BA_2}{B_2A \ C_2B \ A_2C} = \frac{AB_1 \ BC_1 \ CA_1}{B_1C \ C_1A \ A_1B} = 1,
so points A2A_2, B2B_2 and C2C_2 are collinear (fig. 25).

Let MM be the middle of ABAB, NN be the middle of ACAC, KK be the base of the perpendicular dropped from a point II, the center of the inscribed circle, to a straight line B2C2B_2C_2. Triangles C2IMC_2IM and C1IMC_1IM are equal, so C2I=IC1C_2I = IC_1, C2IC1=1802B1C1A\angle C_2IC_1 = 180^\circ - 2\angle B_1C_1A. Similarly, B2I=B1IB_2I = B_1I and B2IB1=1802C1B1A\angle B_2IB_1 = 180^\circ - 2\angle C_1B_1A. Then,
B2IC2=2B1C1A+2C1B1A180=2(180A)180=60. \angle B_2IC_2 = 2\angle B_1C_1A + 2\angle C_1B_1A - 180^\circ = 2(180^\circ - \angle A) - 180^\circ = 60^\circ.
Since B2IC2=B1AC1\angle B_2IC_2 = \angle B_1AC_1 and B2IC2I=B1IC1I=B1AC1A\frac{B_2I}{C_2I} = \frac{B_1I}{C_1I} = \frac{B_1A}{C_1A} (II is a base of the bisectrix AIAI of the triangle B1AC1B_1AC_1), triangles B2IC2B_2IC_2 and B1AC1B_1AC_1 are homothetic, hence C2B2I=AB1C1\angle C_2B_2I = \angle AB_1C_1 and B2C2I=AC1B1\angle B_2C_2I = \angle AC_1B_1. The segment IB2IB_2 is common for the right-angled triangles B2MIB_2MI and B2KIB_2KI, and also NB2I=NB1I=KB2I\angle NB_2I = \angle NB_1I = \angle KB_2I, so NB2=KB2NB_2 = KB_2. In the same way, KC2=C2MKC_2 = C_2M. Since
B2C+C2B=B2N+NC+BM+MC2=B2K+KC2+BC=B2C2+BC, B_2C + C_2B = B_2N + NC + BM + MC_2 = B_2K + KC_2 + BC = B_2C_2 + BC,
the quadrangle CB2C2BCB_2C_2B is circumscribed, therefore the straight line B2C2B_2C_2 touches the inscribed circle of the triangle ABCABC.

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