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Geometry Difficulty 8.5 Shortlist Prove it China

As illustrated in Fig. 1.1, ABCDEFABCDEF is a cyclic hexagon. The extensions of ABAB and DCDC meet at GG; the extensions of AFAF and DEDE meet at HH. Let MM and NN be the circumcentres of BCG\triangle BCG and EFH\triangle EFH, respectively. Prove that the lines BEBE, CFCF, and MNMN are concurrent.

Figure 1
Fig. 1.1

Solutions — 4

Solution 1

Let ω\omega be the circumcircle of BCG\triangle BCG. Let EE' be the other intersection of the line BEBE and ω\omega, FF' be the other intersection of the line CFCF and ω\omega, as shown in Fig. 1.2. Note that BEF=BCF=BCF=BEF\angle BE'F' = \angle BCF' = \angle BCF = \angle BEF, and hence EFEFEF \parallel E'F'; similarly, CFG=CBG=CFA\angle CF'G = \angle CBG = \angle CFA, and hence GFHFGF' \parallel HF; moreover, GEHEGE' \parallel HE. It follows that EFG\triangle E'F'G and EFH\triangle EFH are homothetic triangles. Let PP be the homothetic centre. Then EEEE' and FFFF' pass through PP; the line connecting the circumcentres of EFG\triangle E'F'G and EFH\triangle EFH, which is MNMN, passes through PP as well. Therefore, the lines BEBE, CFCF, and MNMN meet at PP. \square

Figure 2
Fig. 1.2

Solution 2

(Edited from Wang Zihan's proof.) As in Fig. 1.3, we first apply Pascal's theorem to the cyclic hexagon ABCDEFABCDEF to deduce that GG, PP, HH are collinear. Let AA' and DD' be the antipodal points of AA and DD, respectively. Let BABA' and CDCD' meet at GG', DED'E and AFA'F meet at HH'. Apply Pascal's theorem to the cyclic hexagon BAFCDEBA'FCD'E to deduce that GG', HH', PP are collinear.

Since AA and AA', DD and DD' are antipodal points, we have ABABA'B \perp AB, AFAFA'F \perp AF, CDCDCD' \perp CD, DEDED'E \perp DE. Notice that AHH=90FHH=90FAD\angle AHH' = 90^\circ - \angle FH'H = 90^\circ - \angle FAD. Thus, the angle between AHAH and GGGG' is given by
180AGGBAF=90BAF+BGG=90BAF+DAB=90DAF. \begin{align*} 180^\circ - \angle AGG' - \angle BAF &= 90^\circ - \angle BAF + \angle BG'G \\ &= 90^\circ - \angle BAF + \angle DAB \\ &= 90^\circ - \angle DAF. \end{align*}
This implies HHGGHH' \parallel GG'. As MM is the midpoint of GGGG', NN is the midpoint of HHHH', and furthermore it is shown that GHGH, GHG'H' pass through PP. We infer that MNMN passes through PP, too. Therefore, BEBE, CFCF, and MNMN are concurrent. \square

Figure 3
Fig. 1.3

Solution 3

As shown in Fig. 1.4, let PP be the intersection of BEBE and CFCF. It suffices to show that MM, PP, NN are collinear, or equivalently,
sinMPBsinMPC=sinNPEsinNPF. \frac{\sin \angle MPB}{\sin \angle MPC} = \frac{\sin \angle NPE}{\sin \angle NPF}.
Denote α=MPB\alpha = \angle MPB, β=NPE\beta = \angle NPE, γ=BPC=FPE\gamma = \angle BPC = \angle FPE. The above relation is equivalent to
sinαsin(γβ)=sinβsin(γα), \sin \alpha \sin(\gamma - \beta) = \sin \beta \sin(\gamma - \alpha),
or rewritten as sinγsin(αβ)=0\sin \gamma \sin(\alpha - \beta) = 0, or just α=β\alpha = \beta (for the collinearity of MM, PP, NN).

In MPC\triangle MPC and MPB\triangle MPB, apply the law of sines to obtain
BMsinMPB=PMsinPBM,CMsinMPC=PMsinPCM. \frac{BM}{\sin \angle MPB} = \frac{PM}{\sin \angle PBM}, \quad \frac{CM}{\sin \angle MPC} = \frac{PM}{\sin \angle PCM}.
As BM=MCBM = MC, it follows that
sinMPBsinMPC=sinPBMsinPCM. \frac{\sin \angle MPB}{\sin \angle MPC} = \frac{\sin \angle PBM}{\sin \angle PCM}.
Similarly, in NPF\triangle NPF and NPE\triangle NPE, we have
sinNPEsinNPF=sinNEPsinNFP. \frac{\sin \angle NPE}{\sin \angle NPF} = \frac{\sin \angle NEP}{\sin \angle NFP}.
Now it suffices to show
sinPBMsinPCM=sinNEPsinNFP.1 \frac{\sin \angle PBM}{\sin \angle PCM} = \frac{\sin \angle NEP}{\sin \angle NFP}. \qquad \textcircled{1}

The angles appearing in the numerators are supplementary, as
PBM+NEP=PBC+MBC+PEF+NFE=(180CDE)+(90BGC)+(180BAF)+(90AHD)=540(CDE+BGC+BAF+AHD)=540360=180, \begin{align*} \angle PBM + \angle NEP &= \angle PBC + \angle MBC + \angle PEF + \angle NFE \\ &= (180^\circ - \angle CDE) + (90^\circ - \angle BGC) \\ &\quad + (180^\circ - \angle BAF) + (90^\circ - \angle AHD) \\ &= 540^\circ - (\angle CDE + \angle BGC + \angle BAF + \angle AHD) \\ &= 540^\circ - 360^\circ = 180^\circ, \end{align*}
and thus sinPBM=sinNEP\sin \angle PBM = \sin \angle NEP. Analogously, sinPCM=sinNFP\sin \angle PCM = \sin \angle NFP. We have verified (1), and the statement. \square

Figure 4
Fig. 1.4

Solution 4

Assume that the circumcircle of ABC\triangle ABC is the unit circle in the complex plane. We use lowercase letters to represent the complex numbers corresponding to the points in the plane (for instance, aa is the complex number for the point AA, and so on). Let BECF=XBE \cap CF = X. We have
xCFxcxf=(xcxf)xxˉfˉxcxˉ+cfˉ=xxˉcxˉfxˉ+cfˉ(cf)xˉ(cˉfˉ)x=cfˉcfˉxˉ+cfˉxˉ=cˉ+fˉ. \begin{align*} x \in CF &\Leftrightarrow \frac{x-c}{x-f} = \overline{\left(\frac{x-c}{x-f}\right)} \\ &\Leftrightarrow x\bar{x} - \bar{f}x - c\bar{x} + c\bar{f} = x\bar{x} - c\bar{x} - f\bar{x} + c\bar{f} \\ &\Leftrightarrow (c-f)\bar{x} - (\bar{c} - \bar{f})x = c\bar{f} - c\bar{f} \\ &\Leftrightarrow \bar{x} + c\bar{f}\bar{x} = \bar{c} + \bar{f}. \end{align*}
In the same manner, xˉ+bˉeˉxˉ=bˉ+eˉ\bar{x} + \bar{b}\bar{e}\bar{x} = \bar{b} + \bar{e}. Thus,
x=bˉ+eˉcˉfˉbˉeˉcˉfˉ.1 x = \frac{\bar{b} + \bar{e} - \bar{c} - \bar{f}}{\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f}}. \qquad \textcircled{1}
On the other hand, BMC\triangle BMC is an isosceles triangle, BMC\angle BMC is twice the angle between the lines CDCD and ABAB, and this implies that
cmbm=(dcab)2/dcab2=dcab/dˉcˉaˉbˉ=cdab. \frac{c-m}{b-m} = \left(\frac{d-c}{a-b}\right)^2 / \left|\frac{d-c}{a-b}\right|^2 = \frac{d-c}{a-b} / \frac{\bar{d}-\bar{c}}{\bar{a}-\bar{b}} = \frac{cd}{ab}.
Consequently,
m=bc(ad)adbc=dˉaˉcˉdˉaˉbˉ.2 m = \frac{bc(a-d)}{ad-bc} = \frac{\bar{d}-\bar{a}}{\bar{c}\bar{d}-\bar{a}\bar{b}}. \qquad \textcircled{2}
In the same way, we can derive
n=(ad)efafbe=dˉaˉdˉeˉaˉfˉ.3 n = \frac{(a-d)ef}{af-be} = \frac{\bar{d}-\bar{a}}{\bar{d}\bar{e}-\bar{a}\bar{f}}. \qquad \textcircled{3}
To prove that BEBE, CFCF, and MNMN are concurrent, it is equivalent to prove that MM, XX, NN are collinear, namely
xnxm=(xnxm)R.(4) \frac{x-n}{x-m} = \left( \frac{x-n}{x-m} \right) \in \mathbb{R}. \qquad (4)
From (1)–(3), it follows that
xn=1(bˉeˉcˉfˉ)(dˉeˉaˉfˉ)[(bˉ+eˉcˉfˉ)(dˉeˉaˉfˉ)(dˉaˉ)(bˉeˉcˉfˉ)]=1(bˉeˉcˉfˉ)(dˉeˉcˉfˉ)[bˉdˉeˉ+dˉeˉ2dˉeˉfˉcˉdˉeˉaˉbˉfˉaˉeˉfˉ+aˉfˉ2+aˉcˉfˉbˉdˉeˉ+aˉbˉeˉ+cˉdˉfˉaˉcˉfˉ]=1(bˉeˉcˉfˉ)(dˉeˉaˉfˉ)(eˉfˉ)(aˉbˉaˉfˉcˉdˉ+dˉeˉ), \begin{align*} x - n &= \frac{1}{(\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f})(\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{a}\bar{f})} [ (\bar{b} + \bar{e} - \bar{c} - \bar{f})(\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{a}\bar{f}) - (\bar{d} - \bar{a})(\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f}) ] \\ &= \frac{1}{(\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f})(\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f})} [ \bar{b}\bar{d}\bar{e} + \bar{d}\bar{e}^2 - \bar{d}\bar{e}\bar{f} - \bar{c}\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{a}\bar{b}\bar{f} - \bar{a}\bar{e}\bar{f} + \bar{a}\bar{f}^2 \\ &\quad + \bar{a}\bar{c}\bar{f} - \bar{b}\bar{d}\bar{e} + \bar{a}\bar{b}\bar{e} + \bar{c}\bar{d}\bar{f} - \bar{a}\bar{c}\bar{f} ] \\ &= \frac{1}{(\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f})(\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{a}\bar{f})} (\bar{e} - \bar{f})(\bar{a}\bar{b} - \bar{a}\bar{f} - \bar{c}\bar{d} + \bar{d}\bar{e}), \end{align*}
while
mn=dˉaˉ(cˉdˉaˉbˉ)(dˉeˉaˉfˉ)(aˉbˉaˉfˉcˉdˉ+dˉeˉ). m - n = \frac{\bar{d} - \bar{a}}{(\bar{c}\bar{d} - \bar{a}\bar{b})(\bar{d}\bar{e} - \bar{a}\bar{f})}(\bar{a}\bar{b} - \bar{a}\bar{f} - \bar{c}\bar{d} + \bar{d}\bar{e}).
Hence,
xnxm=(eˉfˉ)(cˉdˉaˉbˉ)(dˉaˉ)(bˉeˉcˉfˉ). \frac{x - n}{x - m} = \frac{(\bar{e} - \bar{f})(\bar{c}\bar{d} - \bar{a}\bar{b})}{(\bar{d} - \bar{a})(\bar{b}\bar{e} - \bar{c}\bar{f})}.
In the last fraction, the unit complex numbers a,b,c,d,ea, b, c, d, e, and ff all appear exactly once in the numerator and in the denominator; moreover, in each parenthesis, the coefficients of the homogeneous terms sum to zero (one minus one). So, the fraction is real, which justifies (4), and the argument as well.

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