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Geometry Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let ABCABC be an acute-angled triangle with AB<ACAB < AC. Denote its circumcircle by Ω\Omega and denote the midpoint of arc⁡CAB\operatorname{arc} CAB by SS. Let the perpendicular from AA to BCBC meet BSBS and Ω\Omega at DD and E≠AE \neq A respectively. Let the line through DD parallel to BCBC meet line BEBE at LL and denote the circumcircle of triangle BDLBDL by ω\omega. Let ω\omega meet Ω\Omega again at P≠BP \neq B.
Prove that the line tangent to ω\omega at PP, and line BSBS intersect on the internal bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Let S′S' be the midpoint of arc⁡BC\operatorname{arc} BC of Ω\Omega, diametrically opposite to SS so SS′SS' is a diameter in Ω\Omega and AS′AS' is the angle bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC. Let the tangent of ω\omega at PP meet Ω\Omega again at Q≠PQ \neq P, then we have ∠SQS′=90∘\angle SQS' = 90^\circ.
We will show that triangles APDAPD and S′QSS'QS are similar and their corresponding sides are parallel. Then it will follow that the lines connecting the corresponding vertices, namely line AS′AS', that is the angle bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC, line PQPQ, that is the tangent to ω\omega at PP, and DSDS are concurrent. Note that the sides ADAD and S′SS'S have opposite directions, so the three lines cannot be parallel.

Figure 1

First we show that AP⊥DPAP \perp DP. Indeed, from cyclic quadrilaterals APBEAPBE and DPLBDPLB we can see that
∠PAD=∠PAE=180∘−∠EBP=∠PBL=∠PDL=90∘−∠ADP. \angle PAD = \angle PAE = 180^\circ - \angle EBP = \angle PBL = \angle PDL = 90^\circ - \angle ADP.
Then, in triangle APDAPD we have ∠DPA=180∘−∠PAD−∠ADP=90∘\angle DPA = 180^\circ - \angle PAD - \angle ADP = 90^\circ.

Now we can see that:
- Both lines ADEADE and SS′SS' are perpendicular to BCBC, so AD∥S′SAD \parallel S'S.
- Line PQPQ is tangent to circle ω\omega at PP so ∠DPQ=∠DBP=∠SBP=∠SQP\angle DPQ = \angle DBP = \angle SBP = \angle SQP; it follows that PD∥QSPD \parallel QS.
- Finally, since AP⊥PD∥QS⊥S′QAP \perp PD \parallel QS \perp S'Q, we have AP∥S′QAP \parallel S'Q as well.

Hence the corresponding sides of triangles APDAPD and S′QSS'QS are parallel completing the solution.

Solution 2

Again, let S′S' be the midpoint of arc BCBC, diametrically opposite to SS, so AES′SAES'S is an isosceles trapezoid, and ∠S′BS=∠S′PS=90∘\angle S'BS = \angle S'PS = 90^\circ. Let lines AEAE and PS′PS' meet at TT and let APAP and S′BS'B meet at point MM.
We will need that points L,P,SL, P, S are collinear, and points TT and MM lie on circle ω\omega.
- From ∠LPB=∠LDB=90∘−∠BDE=90∘−∠BSS′=∠SS′B=180∘−∠BPS\angle LPB = \angle LDB = 90^\circ - \angle BDE = 90^\circ - \angle BSS' = \angle SS'B = 180^\circ - \angle BPS we get ∠LPB+∠BPS=180∘\angle LPB + \angle BPS = 180^\circ, so L,PL, P and SS are indeed collinear.
- Since SS′SS' is a diameter in Ω\Omega, lines LPSLPS and PTS′PTS' are perpendicular. We also have LD∥BC⊥AELD \parallel BC \perp AE hence ∠LDT=∠LPT=90∘\angle LDT = \angle LPT = 90^\circ and therefore T∈ωT \in \omega.
- By ∠LPM=∠SPA=∠SEA=∠EAS′=∠EBS′=∠LBM\angle LPM = \angle SPA = \angle SEA = \angle EAS' = \angle EBS' = \angle LBM, point MM is concyclic with B,P,LB, P, L so M∈ωM \in \omega.

Figure 2

Now let XX be the intersection of line BDSBDS with the tangent of ω\omega at PP and apply Pascal's theorem to the degenerate cyclic hexagon PPMBDTPPMBDT. This gives points PP∩BD=XPP \cap BD = X, PM∩DT=APM \cap DT = A and MB∩TP=S′MB \cap TP = S' are collinear so XX lies on line AS′AS', that is the bisector of ∠BAC\angle BAC.

Solution 3

Let A′A' and S′S' be the points of Ω\Omega diametrically opposite to AA and SS respectively. It is well-known that EE and A′A' are reflections with respect to SS′SS' so AS′AS' is the angle bisector of ∠EAA′\angle EAA'. Define point TT to be the intersection of AEAE and PS′PS'. As in the previous two solutions, we have: ∠DPA=90∘\angle DPA = 90^\circ so PDPD passes through A′A'; points L,P,SL, P, S are collinear; and T∈ωT \in \omega.
Let lines AS′AS' and PDA′PDA' meet at RR. From the angles of triangles PRS′PRS' and PTEPTE we get
∠ARP=∠AS′P+∠S′PA′=∠AEP+∠EPS′=∠ATP \angle ARP = \angle AS'P + \angle S'PA' = \angle AEP + \angle EPS' = \angle ATP
so points A,P,T,RA, P, T, R are concyclic. Denote their circle by γ\gamma. Due to ∠RPA=∠DPA=90∘\angle RPA = \angle DPA = 90^\circ, segment ARAR is a diameter in γ\gamma.

Figure 3

We claim that circles ω\omega and γ\gamma are perpendicular. Let line LPSLPS meet γ\gamma again at U≠PU \neq P, and consider triangles PLTPLT and PTUPTU. By ∠LPT=∠TPU=90∘\angle LPT = \angle TPU = 90^\circ and
∠PTL=∠PBL=180∘−∠EBP=∠PAE=∠PAT=∠PUT, \angle PTL = \angle PBL = 180^\circ - \angle EBP = \angle PAE = \angle PAT = \angle PUT,
triangles PLTPLT and PTUPTU are similar. It follows that the spiral similarity that takes PLTPLT to PTUPTU, maps ω\omega to γ\gamma and the angle of this similarity is 90∘90^\circ, so circles ω\omega and γ\gamma are indeed perpendicular.

Finally, let lines BDSBDS and ARS′ARS' meet at XX. We claim that XX bisects ARAR, so point XX is the centre of γ\gamma and, as ω\omega and γ\gamma are perpendicular, PXPX is tangent to ω\omega.
Let tt be the tangent of ω\omega at DD. From ∠(DT,t)=∠TPD=∠S′PA′=∠EAS′\angle(DT, t) = \angle TPD = \angle S'PA' = \angle EAS' it can be seen that t∥AS′t \parallel AS'. Let II be the common point at infinity of tt and AS′AS'. Moreover, let lines LPSLPS and ADTEADTE meet at VV. By projecting line AS′AS' to circle ω\omega through DD, then projecting ω\omega to line AEAE through LL, finally projecting AEAE to Ω\Omega through PP, we find
AXRX=(A,R;X,I)=D(T,P;B,D)=L(T,V;E,D)=P(S′,S;E,A′)=−1, \frac{AX}{RX} = (A, R; X, I) \stackrel{D}{=} (T, P; B, D) \stackrel{L}{=} (T, V; E, D) \stackrel{P}{=} (S', S; E, A') = -1,
so XX is the midpoint of ARAR.

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