Construct outside the acute-angled triangle ABC the isosceles triangles ABAB, ABBA, ACAC, ACCA, BCBC, and BCCB, so that
AB=ABA=BAB,AC=ACA=CAC,BC=BCB=CBC
and
∡BABA=∡ABAB=∡CACA=∡ACAC=∡BCBC=∡CBCB=α<90∘.
Prove that the perpendiculars from A to BACA, from B to ABCB, and from C to ACBC are concurrent.
Solution
Lemma. If BCD is the isosceles triangle which is outside the triangle ABC and has
∡CBD=∡BCD=90∘−α:= not β,
then AD⊥BACA. Proof of the lemma. Construct an isosceles triangle ABE outside the triangle ABC, so that ∡ABE=∡AEB=β. Then AE=AB=ABA and ∡EABA=α, so a rotation of center A and angle α sends CA to C and BA to E, hence \Varangle(BACA,EC)=α (the angle between vectors is considered oriented). Also triangles EBA and BCD are similar, so a rotation of center B and angle β, followed by ! a dilation of ratio ABEB=BDBC sends E to A and C to D, hence ∡(EC,AD)=β (also oriented angle). This shows that
∡(BACA,AD)=∡(BACA,EC)+∡(EC,AD)=α+β=90∘.
Returning to the solution of the problem, denote A′ the intersection of BC with the perpendicular from A to BACA. Then A′ belongs to the segment BC and
A′CA′B=ACsin(C+β)ABsin(B+β)
Since similar relations are true for the intersections B′,C′ of the other two perpendiculars with the opposite sides, this yields
whence the conclusion. Remark. The conditions 'acute-angled' and ' α<90∘ ' are not essential, but without them there are cases when A′ does not belong to the segment BC, or the perpendiculars become parallel.
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