Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 7 / 222 of 300 #1622 of 1964

Problem 1622

National olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Geometry Difficulty 7.5 Prove it

Let HH be the orthocenter and GG be the centroid of acute-angled triangle ABC\triangle A B C with ABACA B \neq A C. The line AGA G intersects the circumcircle of ABC\triangle A B C at AA and PP. Let PP^{\prime} be the reflection of PP in the line BCB C. Prove that CAB=60\angle C A B=60^{\circ} if and only if HG=GPH G=G P^{\prime}.
(Ukraine)
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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

Let ω\omega be the circumcircle of ABC\triangle A B C. Reflecting ω\omega in line BCB C, we obtain circle ω\omega^{\prime} which, obviously, contains points HH and PP^{\prime}. Let MM be the midpoint of BCB C. As triangle ABC\triangle A B C is acute-angled, then HH and OO lie inside this triangle.

Let us assume that CAB=60\angle C A B=60^{\circ}. Since

COB=2CAB=120=18060=180CAB=CHB, \angle C O B=2 \angle C A B=120^{\circ}=180^{\circ}-60^{\circ}=180^{\circ}-\angle C A B=\angle C H B,

hence OO lies on ω\omega^{\prime}. Reflecting OO in line BCB C, we obtain point OO^{\prime} which lies on ω\omega and this point is the center of ω\omega^{\prime}. Then OO=2OM=2RcosCAB=AHO O^{\prime}=2 O M=2 R \cos \angle C A B=A H, so AH=OO=HO=AO=RA H=O O^{\prime}=H O^{\prime}=A O=R, where RR is the radius of ω\omega and, naturally, of ω\omega^{\prime}. Then quadrilateral AHOOA H O^{\prime} O is a rhombus, so AA and OO^{\prime} are symmetric to each other with respect to HOH O. As H,GH, G and OO are collinear (Euler line), then GAH=HOG\angle G A H=\angle H O^{\prime} G. Diagonals of quadrilateral GOPOG O P O^{\prime} intersect at MM. Since BOM=60\angle B O M=60^{\circ}, so

OM=MO=ctg60MB=MB3. O M=M O^{\prime}=\operatorname{ctg} 60^{\circ} \cdot M B=\frac{M B}{\sqrt{3}} .

As 3MOMO=MB2=MBMC=MPMA=3MGMP3 M O \cdot M O^{\prime}=M B^{2}=M B \cdot M C=M P \cdot M A=3 M G \cdot M P, then GOPOG O P O^{\prime} is a cyclic. Since BCB C is a perpendicular bisector of OOO O^{\prime}, so the circumcircle of quadrilateral GOPOG O P O^{\prime} is symmetrical with respect to BCB C. Thus PP^{\prime} also belongs to the circumcircle of GOPOG O P O^{\prime}, hence GOP=GPP\angle G O^{\prime} P^{\prime}=\angle G P P^{\prime}. Note that GPP=GAH\angle G P P^{\prime}=\angle G A H since AHPPA H \| P P^{\prime}. And as it was proved GAH=HOG\angle G A H=\angle H O^{\prime} G, then HOG=GOP\angle H O^{\prime} G=\angle G O^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Thus triangles HOG\triangle H O^{\prime} G and GOP\triangle G O^{\prime} P^{\prime} are equal and hence HG=GPH G=G P^{\prime}.

Now we will prove that if HG=GPH G=G P^{\prime} then CAB=60\angle C A B=60^{\circ}. Reflecting AA with respect to MM, we get AA^{\prime}. Then, as it was said in the first part of the solution, points B,C,HB, C, H and PP^{\prime} belong to ω\omega^{\prime}. Also it is clear that AA^{\prime} belongs to ω\omega^{\prime}. Note that HCCAH C \perp C A^{\prime} since ABCAA B \| C A^{\prime} and hence HAH A^{\prime} is a diameter of ω\omega^{\prime}. Obviously, the center OO^{\prime} of circle ω\omega^{\prime} is the midpoint of HAH A^{\prime}. From HG=GPH G=G P^{\prime} it follows that HGO\triangle H G O^{\prime} is equal to PGO\triangle P^{\prime} G O^{\prime}. Therefore HH and PP^{\prime} are symmetric with respect to GOG O^{\prime}. Hence GOHPG O^{\prime} \perp H P^{\prime} and GOAPG O^{\prime} \| A^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Let HGH G intersect APA^{\prime} P^{\prime} at KK and K≢OK \not \equiv O since ABACA B \neq A C. We conclude that HG=GKH G=G K, because line GOG O^{\prime} is the midline of the triangle HKA\triangle H K A^{\prime}. Note that 2GO=HG2 G O=H G. since HOH O is the Euler line of triangle ABCA B C. So OO is the midpoint of segment GKG K. Because of CMP=CMP\angle C M P=\angle C M P^{\prime}, then GMO=OMP\angle G M O=\angle O M P^{\prime}. Line OMO M, that passes through OO^{\prime}, is an external angle bisector of PMA\angle P^{\prime} M A^{\prime}. Also we know that PO=OAP^{\prime} O^{\prime}=O^{\prime} A^{\prime}, then OO^{\prime} is the midpoint of arc PMAP^{\prime} M A^{\prime} of the circumcircle of triangle PMA\triangle P^{\prime} M A^{\prime}. It
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follows that quadrilateral PMOAP^{\prime} M O^{\prime} A^{\prime} is cyclic, then OMA=OPA=OAP\angle O^{\prime} M A^{\prime}=\angle O^{\prime} P^{\prime} A^{\prime}=\angle O^{\prime} A^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Let OMO M and PAP^{\prime} A^{\prime} intersect at TT. Triangles TOA\triangle T O^{\prime} A^{\prime} and AOM\triangle A^{\prime} O^{\prime} M are similar, hence OA/OM=OT/OAO^{\prime} A^{\prime} / O^{\prime} M=O^{\prime} T / O^{\prime} A^{\prime}. In the other words, OMOT=OA2O^{\prime} M \cdot O^{\prime} T=O^{\prime} A^{\prime 2}. Using Menelaus' theorem for triangle HKA\triangle H K A^{\prime} and line TOT O^{\prime}, we obtain that

AOOHHOOKKTTA=3KTTA=1 \frac{A^{\prime} O^{\prime}}{O^{\prime} H} \cdot \frac{H O}{O K} \cdot \frac{K T}{T A^{\prime}}=3 \cdot \frac{K T}{T A^{\prime}}=1

It follows that KT/TA=1/3K T / T A^{\prime}=1 / 3 and KA=2KTK A^{\prime}=2 K T. Using Menelaus' theorem for triangle TOAT O^{\prime} A^{\prime} and line HKH K we get that

1=OHHAAKKTTOOO=122TOOO=TOOO. 1=\frac{O^{\prime} H}{H A^{\prime}} \cdot \frac{A^{\prime} K}{K T} \cdot \frac{T O}{O O^{\prime}}=\frac{1}{2} \cdot 2 \cdot \frac{T O}{O O^{\prime}}=\frac{T O}{O O^{\prime}} .

It means that TO=OOT O=O O^{\prime}, so OA2=OMOT=OO2O^{\prime} A^{2}=O^{\prime} M \cdot O^{\prime} T=O O^{\prime 2}. Hence OA=OOO^{\prime} A^{\prime}=O O^{\prime} and, consequently, OωO \in \omega^{\prime}. Finally we conclude that 2CAB=BOC=180CAB2 \angle C A B=\angle B O C=180^{\circ}-\angle C A B, so CAB=60\angle C A B=60^{\circ}.
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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.