Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 5 / 15 of 400 #1095 of 2444

Problem 1095

AIME late
Geometry Difficulty 5.0 Prove it Saudi Arabian Mathematical Competitions · Saudi Arabia · 2015

Let ABCABC be a triangle and DD a point on the side BCBC. Point EE is the symmetric of DD with respect to ABAB. Point FF is the symmetric of EE with respect to ACAC. Point PP is the intersection of line DFDF with line ACAC. Prove that the quadrilateral AEDPAEDP is cyclic.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

Next problem →

Official solution

Let α=BAC\alpha = \angle BAC and θ=BAD\theta = \angle BAD. Because EE is the symmetric of DD with respect to ABAB, we have AD=AEAD = AE and DEDE is perpendicular to ABAB. We deduce that EAD=2θ\angle EAD = 2\theta and DEA=90θ\angle DEA = 90^\circ - \theta.

Because FF is the symmetric of EE with respect to ACAC, we have AE=AFAE = AF and EFEF is perpendicular to ACAC. We deduce that
CAF=EAC=EAB+BAC=θ+α \angle CAF = \angle EAC = \angle EAB + BAC = \theta + \alpha
and
PDA=9012DAF=9012(DAC+CAF)=9012((αθ)+(α+θ))=90α. \begin{aligned} \angle PDA & = 90^\circ - \frac{1}{2} \angle DAF = 90^\circ - \frac{1}{2}(\angle DAC + CAF) \\ & = 90^\circ - \frac{1}{2}((\alpha - \theta) + (\alpha + \theta)) = 90^\circ - \alpha. \end{aligned}
We deduce that
DPC=PDA+DAC=(90α)+(αθ)=90θ=DEA. \angle DPC = \angle PDA + \angle DAC = (90^\circ - \alpha) + (\alpha - \theta) = 90^\circ - \theta = \angle DEA.
This proves that quadrilateral AEDPAEDP is cyclic.

Figure 1

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.