Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 7.4 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it

In a triangle ABC\triangle ABC with ABC<BCA\angle ABC < \angle BCA, we define KK as the center of the excircle opposite ACAC. The lines AKAK and BCBC intersect at a point DD. Let EE be the center of the circumcircle of BKC\triangle BKC. Prove that

1KA=1KD+1KE \frac{1}{|KA|} = \frac{1}{|KD|} + \frac{1}{|KE|}

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Solution

We use the notation CAB=2α,ABC=2β\angle C A B=2 \alpha, \angle A B C=2 \beta and BCA=2γ\angle B C A=2 \gamma. Note that α+β+γ=12(CAB+ABC+BCA)=12180=90\alpha+\beta+\gamma=\frac{1}{2}(\angle C A B+\angle A B C+\angle B C A)=\frac{1}{2} \cdot 180^{\circ}=90^{\circ}.

We first prove that K,AK, A and EE are collinear. Since KK lies on the angle bisector of ABC\angle A B C and the external angle bisector of CAB\angle C A B, we find that BKA=180KABABK=180(90+α)β=90αβ=γ\angle B K A=180^{\circ}-\angle K A B-\angle A B K=180^{\circ}-\left(90^{\circ}+\alpha\right)-\beta=90^{\circ}-\alpha-\beta=\gamma. On the other hand, we know that BCK=90+γ>90\angle B C K=90^{\circ}+\gamma>90^{\circ} is obtuse. Since EE is the circumcenter of BKC\triangle B K C, EE must lie on the opposite side of BKB K from CC, and by the central angle theorem, we know that KEB=2(180BCK)=2(90γ)=1802γ\angle K E B=2 \cdot\left(180^{\circ}-\angle B C K\right)=2 \cdot\left(90^{\circ}-\gamma\right)=180^{\circ}-2 \gamma. Since EE is the circumcenter of BKC\triangle B K C, we also know that BEK\triangle B E K is isosceles with vertex angle EE. Thus, BKE=12(180KEB)=122γ=γ\angle B K E=\frac{1}{2}\left(180^{\circ}-\angle K E B\right)=\frac{1}{2} \cdot 2 \gamma=\gamma. We conclude that BKA=γ=BKE\angle B K A=\gamma=\angle B K E, which implies that K,AK, A and EE are collinear.

Due to this collinearity, we find that AEB=KEB=1802γ=180BCA\angle A E B=\angle K E B=180^{\circ}-2 \gamma=180^{\circ}-\angle B C A, so ACBEA C B E is a cyclic quadrilateral. In particular, it follows that AEC=ABC=ABD\angle A E C=\angle A B C=\angle A B D. Since also CAE=90+α=KAB=DAB\angle C A E=90^{\circ}+\alpha=\angle K A B=\angle D A B, we find by (AA) that AECABD\triangle A E C \sim \triangle A B D.

The last two observations we need are that EC=EK|E C|=|E K| because CEK\triangle C E K is also isosceles with vertex angle EE, and that BKB K is a bisector of ABD\triangle A B D. Now it follows that

1KAKE=KEKAKE=AEKE=AECE=ABDB=AKDK 1-\frac{|K A|}{|K E|}=\frac{|K E|-|K A|}{|K E|}=\frac{|A E|}{|K E|}=\frac{|A E|}{|C E|}=\frac{|A B|}{|D B|}=\frac{|A K|}{|D K|}

where we have used, respectively: the difference of fractions, that KK, AA and EE are collinear, that EC=EK|E C|=|E K|, that AECABD\triangle A E C \sim \triangle A B D, and the angle bisector theorem on BKB K in ABD\triangle A B D. The desired result now follows easily by moving KAKE\frac{|K A|}{|K E|} to the other side and dividing by KA|K A|.

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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.