Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 7 / 254 of 300 #1654 of 1964

Problem 1654

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 AB≠ACA B \neq A C. The line AGA G intersects the circumcircle of △ABC\triangle A B C at AA and PP. Let P′P^{\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=GP′H 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.

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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 P′P^{\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=2∠CAB=120∘=180∘−60∘=180∘−∠CAB=∠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 O′O^{\prime} which lies on ω\omega and this point is the center of ω′\omega^{\prime}. Then OO′=2OM=2Rcos⁡∠CAB=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 AHO′OA H O^{\prime} O is a rhombus, so AA and O′O^{\prime} are symmetric to each other with respect to HOH O. As H,GH, G and OO are collinear (Euler line), then ∠GAH=∠HO′G\angle G A H=\angle H O^{\prime} G. Diagonals of quadrilateral GOPO′G O P O^{\prime} intersect at MM. Since ∠BOM=60∘\angle B O M=60^{\circ}, so

OM=MO′=ctg⁡60∘⋅MB=MB3. O M=M O^{\prime}=\operatorname{ctg} 60^{\circ} \cdot M B=\frac{M B}{\sqrt{3}} .

As 3MO⋅MO′=MB2=MB⋅MC=MP⋅MA=3MG⋅MP3 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 GOPO′G O P O^{\prime} is a cyclic. Since BCB C is a perpendicular bisector of OO′O O^{\prime}, so the circumcircle of quadrilateral GOPO′G O P O^{\prime} is symmetrical with respect to BCB C. Thus P′P^{\prime} also belongs to the circumcircle of GOPO′G O P O^{\prime}, hence ∠GO′P′=∠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 AH∥PP′A H \| P P^{\prime}. And as it was proved ∠GAH=∠HO′G\angle G A H=\angle H O^{\prime} G, then ∠HO′G=∠GO′P′\angle H O^{\prime} G=\angle G O^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Thus triangles △HO′G\triangle H O^{\prime} G and △GO′P′\triangle G O^{\prime} P^{\prime} are equal and hence HG=GP′H G=G P^{\prime}.

Now we will prove that if HG=GP′H G=G P^{\prime} then ∠CAB=60∘\angle C A B=60^{\circ}. Reflecting AA with respect to MM, we get A′A^{\prime}. Then, as it was said in the first part of the solution, points B,C,HB, C, H and P′P^{\prime} belong to ω′\omega^{\prime}. Also it is clear that A′A^{\prime} belongs to ω′\omega^{\prime}. Note that HC⊥CA′H C \perp C A^{\prime} since AB∥CA′A B \| C A^{\prime} and hence HA′H A^{\prime} is a diameter of ω′\omega^{\prime}. Obviously, the center O′O^{\prime} of circle ω′\omega^{\prime} is the midpoint of HA′H A^{\prime}. From HG=GP′H G=G P^{\prime} it follows that △HGO′\triangle H G O^{\prime} is equal to △P′GO′\triangle P^{\prime} G O^{\prime}. Therefore HH and P′P^{\prime} are symmetric with respect to GO′G O^{\prime}. Hence GO′⊥HP′G O^{\prime} \perp H P^{\prime} and GO′∥A′P′G O^{\prime} \| A^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Let HGH G intersect A′P′A^{\prime} P^{\prime} at KK and K≢OK \not \equiv O since AB≠ACA B \neq A C. We conclude that HG=GKH G=G K, because line GO′G 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 O′O^{\prime}, is an external angle bisector of ∠P′MA′\angle P^{\prime} M A^{\prime}. Also we know that P′O′=O′A′P^{\prime} O^{\prime}=O^{\prime} A^{\prime}, then O′O^{\prime} is the midpoint of arc P′MA′P^{\prime} M A^{\prime} of the circumcircle of triangle △P′MA′\triangle P^{\prime} M A^{\prime}. It
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follows that quadrilateral P′MO′A′P^{\prime} M O^{\prime} A^{\prime} is cyclic, then ∠O′MA′=∠O′P′A′=∠O′A′P′\angle O^{\prime} M A^{\prime}=\angle O^{\prime} P^{\prime} A^{\prime}=\angle O^{\prime} A^{\prime} P^{\prime}. Let OMO M and P′A′P^{\prime} A^{\prime} intersect at TT. Triangles △TO′A′\triangle T O^{\prime} A^{\prime} and △A′O′M\triangle A^{\prime} O^{\prime} M are similar, hence O′A′/O′M=O′T/O′A′O^{\prime} A^{\prime} / O^{\prime} M=O^{\prime} T / O^{\prime} A^{\prime}. In the other words, O′M⋅O′T=O′A′2O^{\prime} M \cdot O^{\prime} T=O^{\prime} A^{\prime 2}. Using Menelaus' theorem for triangle △HKA′\triangle H K A^{\prime} and line TO′T O^{\prime}, we obtain that

A′O′O′H⋅HOOK⋅KTTA′=3⋅KTTA′=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 TO′A′T O^{\prime} A^{\prime} and line HKH K we get that

1=O′HHA′⋅A′KKT⋅TOOO′=12⋅2⋅TOOO′=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=OO′T O=O O^{\prime}, so O′A2=O′M⋅O′T=OO′2O^{\prime} A^{2}=O^{\prime} M \cdot O^{\prime} T=O O^{\prime 2}. Hence O′A′=OO′O^{\prime} A^{\prime}=O O^{\prime} and, consequently, O∈ω′O \in \omega^{\prime}. Finally we conclude that 2∠CAB=∠BOC=180∘−∠CAB2 \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 reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.