GeometryDifficulty 7.4National Olympiad, round 2Prove itUnited States
Let ABC be an equilateral triangle with side length 1. Points A1 and A2 are chosen on side BC, points B1 and B2 are chosen on side CA, and points C1 and C2 are chosen on side AB such that BA1<BA2, CB1<CB2, and AC1<AC2. Suppose that the three line segments B1C2, C1A2, and A1B2 are concurrent, and the perimeters of triangles AB2C1, BC2A1, and CA2B1 are all equal. Find all possible values of this common perimeter.
Solution
Claim (p=1 implies concurrence) — Suppose the six points are chosen so that triangles AB2C1, BC2A1, CA2B1 all have perimeter 1. Then lines B1C2, C1A2, and A1B2 are concurrent.
Proof. The perimeter conditions mean that B2C1, C2A1, and A2B1 are tangent to the incircle of △ABC.
¶ Barycentric solution (by Carl, Krit, Milan) We show that, if the common perimeter is 1, then the lines concur. To do this, we use barycentric coordinates. Let A=(1:0:0), B=(0:1:0), and C=(0:0:1). Let A1=(0:1−a1:a1), A2=(0:a2:1−a2), B1=(b1:0:1−b1), B2=(1−b2:0:b2), C1=(1−c1:c1:0), and C2=(c2:1−c2:0). The line B1C2 is defined by the equation detxb1c2y01−c2z1−b10=0; i.e. x(−(1−b1)(1−c2))+y((1−b1)c2)+z(b1(1−c2))=0.
Computing the equations for the other lines cyclically, we get that the lines B1C2, C1A2, and A1B2 concur if and only if det−(1−b1)(1−c2)c1(1−a2)(1−a1)b2(1−b1)c2−(1−c1)(1−a2)a1(1−b2)b1(1−c2)(1−c1)a2−(1−a1)(1−b2)=0.
Let this matrix be M. We also define the similar matrix N=−(1−b2)(1−c1)c2(1−a1)(1−a2)b1(1−b2)c1−(1−c2)(1−a1)a2(1−b1)b2(1−c1)(1−c2)a1−(1−a2)(1−b1).
Claim — We have detM=detN.
Proof. To show detM=detN, it suffices to demonstrate that the determinant above is invariant under swapping subscripts of “1” and “2,” an operation we call Ψ. We use the definition of the determinant as a sum over permutations. The even permutations give us the following three terms: −(1−b1)(1−c2)(1−c1)(1−a2)(1−a1)(1−b2)=−i=1∏2((1−ai)(1−bi)(1−ci))(1−a1)b2(1−b1)c2(1−c1)a2=((1−a1)(1−b1)(1−c1))(a2b2c2)c1(1−a2)a1(1−b2)b1(1−c2)=((1−a2)(1−b2)(1−c2))(a1b1c1).
The first term is invariant under Ψ, while the second and third terms are swapped under Ψ. For the odd permutations, we have a contribution to the determinant of cyc∑(1−b1)(1−c2)(1−c1)a2a1(1−b2); each summand is invariant under Ψ. This finishes the proof of our claim. □
Now, it suffices to show that, if AB2C1, BC2A1, and CA2B1 each have perimeter 1, then det−(1−b2)(1−c1)c2(1−a1)(1−a2)b1(1−b2)c1−(1−c2)(1−a1)a2(1−b1)b2(1−c1)(1−c2)a1−(1−a2)(1−b1)=0.
Indeed, we have AB2=b2 and AC1=c1, so by the law of cosines, 1−b2−c1=1−AB2−AC1=B2C1=b22+c12−b2c1. This gives (1−b2−c1)2=b22+c12−b2c1⟹1−2b2−2c1+3b2c1=0. Similarly, 1−2c2−2a1+3c2a1=0 and 1−2a2−2b1+3a2b1=0.
Synthetic approach (from author) We prove the converse of the problem first:
Claim (p=1 implies concurrence) — Suppose the six points are chosen so that triangles AB2C1, BC2A1, CA2B1 all have perimeter 1. Then lines B1C2, C1A2, and A1B2 are concurrent.
Proof. The perimeter conditions mean that B2C1, C2A1, and A2B1 are tangent to the incircle of △ABC. Hence the result follows by Brianchon's theorem. □
Now suppose p=1. Let B2′C1′ be the dilation of B2C1 with ratio p1 at center A, and define C2′, A1′, A2′, B1′ similarly. The following diagram showcases the situation p<1.
By the reasoning in the p=1 case, note that B1′C2′, C1′A2′, and A1′B2′ are concurrent. However, B1C2, C1A2, A1B2 lie in the interior of quadrilaterals BCB1′C2′, CAC1′A2′, and ABA1′B2′, and these quadrilaterals do not share an interior point, a contradiction. Thus p≥1. Similarly, we can show p≤1, and so p=1 is forced (and achieved if, for example, the three triangles are equilateral with side length 1/3).
Therefore, the only possible value of the common perimeter is 1.
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