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Geometry Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it

Four, (20 points) If a hexagon inscribed in a conic section Γ\Gamma (including degenerate conic sections) has three pairs of opposite sides that are not parallel, then the three points of intersection of the lines containing these pairs of opposite sides are collinear.

Solution

Let the equation of the curve Γ\Gamma be F(x,y)=0F(x, y)=0, simply denoted as F=0F=0 (the same below), and the sides AiAi+1A_{i} A_{i+1} of the inscribed hexagon A1A2A3A4A5A6A_{1} A_{2} A_{3} A_{4} A_{5} A_{6} on the curve Γ\Gamma have the equations fi=0(i=1,2,,6)f_{i}=0(i=1,2, \cdots, 6), and the diagonal A1A4A_{1} A_{4} has the equation g=0g=0. Then the equation of the conic section passing through the points A1,A2,A3,A4A_{1}, A_{2}, A_{3}, A_{4} is
gf2+λf1f3=0. g f_{2}+\lambda f_{1} f_{3}=0.

Since A1,A2,A3,A4A_{1}, A_{2}, A_{3}, A_{4} are on the curve Γ\Gamma, there must exist λ1,μ1\lambda_{1}, \mu_{1} such that
gf2+λ1f1f3=μ1F=0. g f_{2}+\lambda_{1} f_{1} f_{3}=\mu_{1} F=0.

Similarly, the equation of the conic section passing through the points A1,A4,A5,A6A_{1}, A_{4}, A_{5}, A_{6} is gf5+λf4f6=0g f_{5}+\lambda f_{4} f_{6}=0, and there exist λ2,μ2\lambda_{2}, \mu_{2} such that
gf5+λ2f4f6=μ2F=0. g f_{5}+\lambda_{2} f_{4} f_{6}=\mu_{2} F=0.

Eliminating gg from equations (1) and (2) yields
λ1f1f3f5λ2f2f4f6=(μ1f5μ2f2)F=0. \lambda_{1} f_{1} f_{3} f_{5}-\lambda_{2} f_{2} f_{4} f_{6} =\left(\mu_{1} f_{5}-\mu_{2} f_{2}\right) F=0.

Let A1A2A4A5=P,A1A6A4A3=QA_{1} A_{2} \cap A_{4} A_{5}=P, A_{1} A_{6} \cap A_{4} A_{3}=Q,
A2A3A5A6=R. A_{2} A_{3} \cap A_{5} A_{6}=R.

Since the coordinates of point PP satisfy f1=0,f4=0f_{1}=0, f_{4}=0, point PP lies on the curve (3).
Similarly, points QQ and RR also lie on the curve (3).
Since P,Q,RP, Q, R are not on the curve Γ\Gamma, their coordinates satisfy F0,μ1f5μ2f2=0F \neq 0, \mu_{1} f_{5}-\mu_{2} f_{2}=0.
Thus, points P,Q,RP, Q, R are collinear on the line μ1f5μ2f2=0\mu_{1} f_{5}-\mu_{2} f_{2}=0.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.