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Problem 1925

National Olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Geometry Difficulty 7.0 Prove it Tstst · United States

Let ABCDABCD be a quadrilateral with AC=BDAC = BD. Diagonals ACAC and BDBD meet at PP. Let ω1\omega_1 and O1O_1 denote the circumcircle and circumcenter of triangle ABPABP. Let ω2\omega_2 and O2O_2 denote the circumcircle and circumcenter of triangle CDPCDP. Segment BCBC meets ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 again at SS and TT (other than BB and CC), respectively. Let MM and NN be the midpoints of minor arcs SP^\widehat{SP} (not including BB) and TP^\widehat{TP} (not including CC). Prove that MNO1O2MN \parallel O_1O_2.

(This problem was suggested by Steve Dinh.)

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.

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Official solution

Note. The result still holds without the assumption that both triangles ABPABP and CDPCDP are acute. This assumption helps the contestants to focus on more specific configurations. Indeed, because triangles are acute, O1O_1 lies inside triangle ABPABP and O2O_2 lies inside triangle CDPCDP. Points MM and NN lie in the region bounded by rays PBPB and PDPD. It is not difficult to see that O1MNO2O_1MNO_2 is a convex quadrilateral. (In particular, this is helpful in solution 2.) Hence we can consider the configuration (in two diagrams) shown below. For other possible configurations, our proofs can be adjusted slightly.
We present two solutions. Both solutions are based on the fact that triangles ABQABQ and CDQCDQ are similar isosceles triangles. Indeed, because ABPQABPQ and DCPQDCPQ are cyclic, we have QBD=QAC\angle QBD = \angle QAC.

and QDB=QCA\angle QDB = \angle QCA. Hence triangles ACQACQ and BDQBDQ are similar to each other. Because AC=BDAC = BD, we conclude that triangle ACQACQ and BDQBDQ are congruent to each other, implying that QA=QBQA = QB and QC=QDQC = QD. Because BQD=AQC\angle BQD = \angle AQC, we have AQB=CQD\angle AQB = \angle CQD and isosceles triangles ABQABQ and CDQCDQ are similar to each other. In particular, QBA=QAB=QCD=QDC\angle QBA = \angle QAB = \angle QCD = \angle QDC.

Figure 1

Solution 2. For point XX and line \ell, let d(X,)d(X, \ell) denote the distance from XX to \ell. Because O1MNO2O_1MNO_2 is a convex quadrilateral by the note prior to Solution 1, it suffices to show that
d(M,O1O2)=d(N,O1O2). d(M, O_1O_2) = d(N, O_1O_2).
Working on arcs along ω1\omega_1, we have
MO1O2=MO1P+PO1O2=MP^+PO1Q2=SP^2+PBQ=PBS+PBQ=SBQ=CBQ. \begin{align*} \angle MO_1O_2 &= \angle MO_1P + \angle PO_1O_2 = \widehat{MP} + \frac{\angle PO_1Q}{2} = \frac{\widehat{SP}}{2} + \angle PBQ \\ &= \angle PBS + \angle PBQ = \angle SBQ = \angle CBQ. \end{align*}
Thus, we have
d(M,O1O2)O1M=sinMO1O2=sinQBC=d(Q,BC)BQord(M,O1O2)d(Q,BC)=BQO1M. \frac{d(M, O_1O_2)}{O_1M} = \sin \angle MO_1O_2 = \sin \angle QBC = \frac{d(Q, BC)}{BQ} \quad \text{or} \quad \frac{d(M, O_1O_2)}{d(Q, BC)} = \frac{BQ}{O_1M}.
In exactly the same way, we can show that NO2O1=BCQ\angle NO_2O_1 = \angle BCQ and
d(N,O1O2)d(Q,BC)=CQO2N. \frac{d(N, O_1O_2)}{d(Q, BC)} = \frac{CQ}{O_2N}.
It suffices to show that
BQO1M=CQO2N, \frac{BQ}{O_1M} = \frac{CQ}{O_2N},
which is holds because BQBQ and CQCQ are two corresponding sides of two similar (isosceles) triangles (namely, BAQBAQ and CDQCDQ) inscribed in circles ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2, with radii O1MO_1M and ONO_N, respectively.

Figure 2

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