Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 7 / 191 of 300 #1591 of 1964

Problem 1591

National olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Geometry Difficulty 7.4 Prove it

Given is a triangle ABCABC and MM is the midpoint of the minor arc BCBC. Let M1M_1 be the reflection of MM with respect to side BCBC. Prove that the nine-point circle bisects AM1AM_1.

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.

Official solution

1. Identify Key Points and Definitions:
- Let HH be the orthocenter of ABC\triangle ABC.
- MM is the midpoint of the minor arc BCBC on the circumcircle (ABC)(ABC).
- M1M_1 is the reflection of MM with respect to side BCBC.

2. Symmetry and Reflection:
- Reflecting MM across BCBC to get M1M_1 implies that M1M_1 lies on the circumcircle (BHC)(BHC) because reflecting MM across BCBC maps the circumcircle (ABC)(ABC) to (BHC)(BHC).

3. Homothety Argument:
- Consider a homothety centered at AA with a coefficient of 12\frac{1}{2}. This homothety maps the circumcircle (BHC)(BHC) to the nine-point circle of ABC\triangle ABC.
- Under this homothety, the point M1M_1 maps to the midpoint of AM1AM_1.

4. Nine-Point Circle:
- The nine-point circle of ABC\triangle ABC passes through the midpoints of the sides of ABC\triangle ABC, the feet of the altitudes, and the midpoints of the segments joining the orthocenter HH to the vertices of ABC\triangle ABC.
- Since the homothety maps M1M_1 to the midpoint of AM1AM_1, and the nine-point circle is invariant under this homothety, the midpoint of AM1AM_1 must lie on the nine-point circle.

5. Conclusion:
- Therefore, the nine-point circle bisects AM1AM_1.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.