Let a triangle ABC with circumcircle Ω be given, together with points A1,B1 and C1 on the triangle sides BC,CA and AB, such that the three lines AA1,BB1 and CC1 have a point P in common. It is to be shown that at most two of the three reflection points of P under point reflection at A1, B1, resp. C1 lie outside of Ω.
Solution
Solution:
Because of ∡BPC+∡CPA+∡APB=360∘=(180∘−∡BAC)+(180∘−∡CBA)+(180∘−∡ACB) we may assume without loss of generality that ∡APB≤180∘−∡ACB holds. Since P lies in the interior of the triangle ABC, we have ∠APB>∡ACB, from which ∡APB∈[∡ACB,180∘−∡ACB] follows, and hence sin∡APB≥sin∡ACB. Let A2,B2 and C2 be the reflection points described in the problem text, and let A3,B3 and C3 be the second intersection points of the lines AP,BP and CP with Ω. We will now prove that at least one of the ratios ∣A1A3∣∣PA1∣ and ∣B1B3∣∣PB1∣ is not greater than 1, from which the claim follows. To this end we compute, using the law of sines, A1A3PA1=A1BPA1⋅A1A3A1B=(∗)sin∡APBsin∡CBP⋅A1CA1A=sin∡APBsin∡CBP⋅sin∡PACsin∡ACB, where in step (*) we used the equation A1B⋅A1C=A1A⋅A1A3, which follows from the power of a point (intersecting chords theorem). Analogously one also shows B1B3PB1=sin∡APBsin∡PAC⋅sin∡CBPsin∡ACB, and by multiplying both equations we finally obtain A1A3PA1⋅B1B3PB1=(sin∡APB)2(sin∡ACB)2≤1, which implies the claim.
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