Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Italy

Problem:

Let ABCDABCD be a convex quadrilateral such that CAB^=CDA^\widehat{CAB} = \widehat{CDA} and BCA^=ACD^\widehat{BCA} = \widehat{ACD}. Let MM be the midpoint of ABAB; prove that BCM^=DBA^\widehat{BCM} = \widehat{DBA}.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Solution:

For convenience let us call BCM^=α\widehat{BCM} = \alpha. Let us consider triangles ADC\triangle ADC and BAC\triangle BAC: they have two congruent angles, and hence also the third is congruent by difference (CAD^=CBA^\widehat{CAD} = \widehat{CBA}). By the first similarity criterion they are therefore similar; in particular we have AD:BA=CA:CBAD : BA = CA : CB. Letting NN be the midpoint of ADAD, let us consider triangles CAN\triangle CAN and CBM\triangle CBM, which are similar since they have AN:BM=2AN:2BM=AD:BA=CA:CBAN : BM = 2AN : 2BM = AD : BA = CA : CB and CAN^=CBM^\widehat{CAN} = \widehat{CBM} as shown before. In particular we have that ACN^=BCM^=α\widehat{ACN} = \widehat{BCM} = \alpha as corresponding angles of similar triangles

Figure 1

from which
NCM^=ACN^+ACM^=BCM^+ACM^=ACB^. \widehat{NCM} = \widehat{ACN} + \widehat{ACM} = \widehat{BCM} + \widehat{ACM} = \widehat{ACB}.
Let us consider the quadrilateral ANCMANCM and prove that it is cyclic (inscribable in a circle): summing the opposite angles at AA and CC we obtain
NAM^+NCM^=(DAC^+CAB^)+ACB^=CBA^+CAB^+ACB^=180 \widehat{NAM} + \widehat{NCM} = (\widehat{DAC} + \widehat{CAB}) + \widehat{ACB} = \widehat{CBA} + \widehat{CAB} + \widehat{ACB} = 180^\circ
where the last equality follows from the fact that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is a straight angle. From the cyclicity of ANCMANCM we deduce NMA^=NCA^=α\widehat{NMA} = \widehat{NCA} = \alpha (angles subtending the same arc). But now, since NN and MM are the midpoints of ADAD and ABAB, by Thales' theorem we have that NMBDNM \parallel BD; in conclusion DBA^=NMA^=α\widehat{DBA} = \widehat{NMA} = \alpha, since they are corresponding angles of two parallel lines cut by a transversal.

Solution 2

Solution:

Let us consider EE such that EACDEACD is a parallelogram and let us prove that triangles EACEAC and DABDAB are similar (using the results from the first part of the solution shown above).

Solution 3

Solution:

Let us consider the Gauss plane where c=0c = 0 is the origin and b=1b = 1. ADCBAC\triangle ADC \sim \triangle BAC algebraically translates into d=a2d = a^2.

Expressing the claim in terms of complex numbers we must show that arg(a+b)/2cbc=argbdba\arg \frac{(a+b)/2 - c}{b-c} = \arg \frac{b-d}{b-a}; carrying out the computations we obtain:
arg(a+b)/2cbc=argz+12=arg(z+1)=arg1z21z=argbdba \arg \frac{(a+b)/2 - c}{b-c} = \arg \frac{z+1}{2} = \arg(z+1) = \arg \frac{1-z^2}{1-z} = \arg \frac{b-d}{b-a}

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from it; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.