Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it

BGR Let ABCDA B C D be a circumscribed quadrilateral. Let gg be a line through AA which meets the segment BCB C in MM and the line CDC D in NN. Denote by I1,I2I_{1}, I_{2}, and I3I_{3} the incenters of ABM\triangle A B M, MNC\triangle M N C, and NDA\triangle N D A, respectively. Show that the orthocenter of I1I2I3\triangle I_{1} I_{2} I_{3} lies on gg.

Solution

Let k1,k2k_{1}, k_{2} and k3k_{3} be the incircles of triangles ABM,MNCA B M, M N C, and NDAN D A, respectively (see Figure 1). We shall show that the tangent hh from CC to k1k_{1} which is different from CBC B is also tangent to k3k_{3}. ! Figure 1 To this end, let XX denote the point of intersection of gg and hh. Then ABCXA B C X and ABCDA B C D are circumscribed quadrilaterals, whence
CDCX=(AB+CD)(AB+CX)=(BC+AD)(BC+AX)=ADAX C D - C X = (A B + C D) - (A B + C X) = (B C + A D) - (B C + A X) = A D - A X
i.e.
AX+CD=CX+AD A X + C D = C X + A D
which in turn reveals that the quadrilateral AXCDA X C D is also circumscribed. Thus hh touches indeed the circle k3k_{3}. Moreover, we find that I3CI1=I3CX+XCI1=12(DCX+XCB)=12DCB=12(180MCN)=180MI2N=I3I2I1\angle I_{3} C I_{1} = \angle I_{3} C X + \angle X C I_{1} = \frac{1}{2}(\angle D C X + \angle X C B) = \frac{1}{2} \angle D C B = \frac{1}{2}(180^{\circ} - \angle M C N) = 180^{\circ} - \angle M I_{2} N = \angle I_{3} I_{2} I_{1}, from which we conclude that C,I1,I2,I3C, I_{1}, I_{2}, I_{3} are concyclic. Let now L1L_{1} and L3L_{3} be the reflection points of CC with respect to the lines I2I3I_{2} I_{3} and I1I2I_{1} I_{2} respectively. Since I1I2I_{1} I_{2} is the angle bisector of NMC\angle N M C, it follows that L3L_{3} lies on gg. By analogous reasoning, L1L_{1} lies on gg. Let HH be the orthocenter of I1I2I3\triangle I_{1} I_{2} I_{3}. We have I2L3I1=I1CI2=I1I3I2=180I1HI2\angle I_{2} L_{3} I_{1} = \angle I_{1} C I_{2} = \angle I_{1} I_{3} I_{2} = 180^{\circ} - \angle I_{1} H I_{2}, which entails that the quadrilateral I2HI1L3I_{2} H I_{1} L_{3} is cyclic. Analogously, I3HL1I2I_{3} H L_{1} I_{2} is cyclic. Then, working with oriented angles modulo 180180^{\circ}, we have
L3HI2=L3I1I2=I2I1C=I2I3C=L1I3I2=L1HI2, \angle L_{3} H I_{2} = \angle L_{3} I_{1} I_{2} = \angle I_{2} I_{1} C = \angle I_{2} I_{3} C = \angle L_{1} I_{3} I_{2} = \angle L_{1} H I_{2},
whence L1,L3L_{1}, L_{3}, and HH are collinear. By L1L3L_{1} \neq L_{3}, the claim follows.

Comment. The last part of the argument essentially reproves the following fact: The Simson line of a point PP lying on the circumcircle of a triangle ABCA B C with respect to that triangle bisects the line segment connecting PP with the orthocenter of ABCA B C.

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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.