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Problem 1485

National Olympiad, first round
Geometry Difficulty 6.0 Prove it BMO Round 1 · United Kingdom · 2012

Let ABCABC be an acute-angled triangle. The feet of the altitudes from AA, BB and CC are DD, EE and FF respectively. Prove that DE+DFBCDE + DF \leq BC and determine the triangles for which equality holds.

The altitude from AA is the line through AA which is perpendicular to BCBC. The foot of this altitude is the point DD where it meets BCBC. The other altitudes are similarly defined.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then check yourself against the publisher's own solution, linked below. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Source: UK Mathematics Trust, licensed © UK Mathematics Trust; question papers published free at bmos.ukmt.org.uk. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project. Solutions are the publisher's, linked not copied.