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Geometry Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it

Rectangles BCC1B2,CAA1C2B C C_{1} B_{2}, C A A_{1} C_{2}, and ABB1A2A B B_{1} A_{2} are erected outside an acute triangle ABCA B C. Suppose that BC1C+CA1A+AB1B=180. \angle B C_{1} C+\angle C A_{1} A+\angle A B_{1} B=180^{\circ} . Prove that lines B1C2,C1A2B_{1} C_{2}, C_{1} A_{2}, and A1B2A_{1} B_{2} are concurrent.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

The angle condition implies the circumcircles of the three rectangles concur at a single point PP. ! Then CPB2=CPA1=90\measuredangle C P B_{2}=\measuredangle C P A_{1}=90^{\circ}, hence PP lies on A1B2A_{1} B_{2} etc., so we're done. Remark. As one might guess from the two-sentence solution, the entire difficulty of the problem is getting the characterization of the concurrence point.

Solution 2

Leonard my dude.png
We first claim that the three circles (BCC1B2),(BCC_1B_2), (CAA1C2),(CAA_1C_2), and (ABB1A2)(ABB_1A_2) share a common intersection.
Let the second intersection of (BCC1B2)(BCC_1B_2) and (CAA1C2)(CAA_1C_2) be XX. Then
AXC=360BXACXB=360(180AB1B+180BC1C)=180CA1A,\begin{align*} \angle AXC &= 360^\circ - \angle BXA - \angle CXB \\ &= 360^\circ - (180^\circ - \angle AB_1B + 180^\circ - \angle BC_1C) \\& = 180^\circ - \angle CA_1A, \end{align*}
which implies that AA1C2CXAA_1C_2CX is cyclic as desired.
Now we show that XX is the intersection of B1C2,B_1C_2, C1A2,C_1A_2, and A1B2.A_1B_2. Note that C1XB=BXA2=90,\angle C_1XB = \angle BXA_2 = 90^\circ, so A2,X,C1A_2, X, C_1 are collinear. Similarly, B1,X,C2B_1, X, C_2 and A1,X,B2A_1, X, B_2 are collinear, so the three lines concur and we are done.
~Leonard_my_dude

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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.