Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 8 / 126 of 180 #1826 of 1964

Problem 1826

IMO Shortlist mid-range; USAMO P2/P5
Geometry Difficulty 8.3 Prove it

In acute triangle ABC,ABC, the feet of the altitudes are A1,B1,A_1,B_1, and C1C_1 (with the usual notations on sides BC,CA,BC,CA, and ABAB respectively). The circumcircles of triangles AB1C1AB_1C_1 and BC1A1BC_1A_1 intersect at the circumcircle of triangle ABCABC ar points P≠AP\neq A and Q≠B,Q\neq B, respectively. Prove that lines AQ,BPAQ, BP and the Euler line of triangle ABCABC are either concurrent or parallel to each other.

Proposed by Géza Kós, Budapest

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

1. Define Key Points and Circles:
- Let H H and O O be the orthocenter and circumcenter of triangle ABC ABC , respectively.
- Let A1,B1, A_1, B_1, and C1 C_1 be the feet of the altitudes from A,B, A, B, and C C respectively.
- Let P P and Q Q be the points where the circumcircles of triangles AB1C1 AB_1C_1 and BC1A1 BC_1A_1 intersect the circumcircle of triangle ABC ABC at points other than A A and B B , respectively.

2. **Claim: H H lies on the radical axis of the circles (AOQ) (AOQ) and (BOP) (BOP) .**
- To prove this, consider the power of point H H with respect to these circles.
- Let A′ A' and B′ B' be the antipodes of A A and B B in the circumcircle of △ABC \triangle ABC .

3. **Prove H H lies on the radical axis:**
- Note that ∠HPA=∠HC1A=90∘=∠A′PA \angle HPA = \angle HC_1A = 90^\circ = \angle A'PA , so A′∈PH A' \in PH .
- Similarly, B′∈QH B' \in QH .
- Let M M be the second intersection of HP HP with (BOP) (BOP) and N N be the second intersection of HQ HQ with (AOQ) (AOQ) .
- Since ∠HMO=∠PMO=∠PBO=∠PBB′=∠PA′B′=∠HA′B′ \angle HMO = \angle PMO = \angle PBO = \angle PBB' = \angle PA'B' = \angle HA'B' , it follows that MO∥A′B′ MO \parallel A'B' .
- Similarly, NO∥A′B′ NO \parallel A'B' .
- Hence, MN∥A′B′ MN \parallel A'B' .

4. Using Thales's Theorem:
- By Thales's theorem in △HA′B′ \triangle HA'B' , we have:
HMHA′=HNHB′ \frac{HM}{HA'} = \frac{HN}{HB'}
- This implies:
ρ(H,(AOQ))=HQ⋅HN=HNHB′⋅(HQ⋅HB′)=HNHB′⋅ρ(H,(ABC))=HMHA′⋅(HP⋅HA′)=HP⋅HM=ρ(H,(BOP)) \rho(H, (AOQ)) = HQ \cdot HN = \frac{HN}{HB'} \cdot (HQ \cdot HB') = \frac{HN}{HB'} \cdot \rho(H, (ABC)) = \frac{HM}{HA'} \cdot (HP \cdot HA') = HP \cdot HM = \rho(H, (BOP))
- Therefore, H H lies on the radical axis of (AOQ) (AOQ) and (BOP) (BOP) .

5. Case Analysis:
- **Case 1: AQ∦BP AQ \nparallel BP **
- Let K=AQ∩BP K = AQ \cap BP .
- Consider the inversion Ψ \Psi with respect to the circumcircle of △ABC \triangle ABC .
- For each X∈(ABC) X \in (ABC) , Ψ(X)=X \Psi(X) = X .
- Hence, Ψ(AQ)=(AOQ) \Psi(AQ) = (AOQ) and Ψ(BP)=(BOP) \Psi(BP) = (BOP) , implying K∗=Ψ(K)∈(AOQ)∩(BOP)∖{O} K^* = \Psi(K) \in (AOQ) \cap (BOP) \setminus \{O\} .
- From the claim, H∈OK∗ H \in OK^* .
- Since K∈OK∗ K \in OK^* , it follows that O,H,K∗, O, H, K^*, and K K are collinear.
- Therefore, lines AQ,BP, AQ, BP, and the Euler line HO HO of △ABC \triangle ABC are concurrent.

- **Case 2: AQ∥BP AQ \parallel BP **
- In this case, AQBP AQBP forms an isosceles trapezium.
- The circumcenters of △AOQ \triangle AOQ and △BOP \triangle BOP lie on the common perpendicular bisector of segments AQ AQ and BP BP .
- This implies that (AOQ) (AOQ) and (BOP) (BOP) are tangent at O O .
- From the claim, HO HO is tangent to (BOP) (BOP) at O O , implying:
∠HOP=∠OBP=∠OPB \angle HOP = \angle OBP = \angle OPB
- Hence, HO∥BP∥AQ HO \parallel BP \parallel AQ .

Conclusion:
The lines AQ,BP, AQ, BP, and the Euler line of △ABC \triangle ABC are either concurrent or parallel to each other.

■\blacksquare

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.