IMO 1987 · Problem 2

In an acute-angled triangle \(ABC\) the interior bisector of the angle \(A\) intersects \(BC\) at \(L\) and intersects the circumcircle of \(ABC\) again at \(N\). From point \(L\) perpendiculars are drawn to \(AB\) and \(AC\), the feet of these perpendiculars being \(K\) and \(M\) respectively. Prove that the quadrilateral \(AKNM\) and the triangle \(ABC\) have equal areas.

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Solution

Write \([F]\) for the area of a figure \(F\), and put \[ \theta=\angle BAL=\angle LAC. \] Since \(L\) lies inside the circumcircle, the points \(A,L,N\) occur in this order.

By the angle-bisector property and the inscribed-angle theorem, \[ \angle BAL=\angle NAC, \qquad \angle ABL=\angle ABC=\angle ANC. \] Thus \(\triangle ABL\sim\triangle ANC\), with the indicated vertex correspondence. Consequently, \[ \frac{AB}{AN}=\frac{AL}{AC}, \qquad\text{so}\qquad AL\cdot AN=AB\cdot AC. \tag{1} \]

The perpendicular feet \(K\) and \(M\) lie on the rays \(AB\) and \(AC\), because each ray makes the acute angle \(\theta\) with \(AL\). The right triangles \(AKL\) and \(AML\) therefore give \[ AK=AM=AL\cos\theta. \] Moreover, \(K\) and \(M\) lie on opposite sides of \(AN\), so the diagonal \(AN\) divides the quadrilateral \(AKNM\) into triangles \(AKN\) and \(AMN\). Hence \[ \begin{aligned} [AKNM] &=[AKN]+[AMN]\\ &=\frac12\,AN\cdot AK\sin\theta +\frac12\,AN\cdot AM\sin\theta\\ &=AN\cdot AL\sin\theta\cos\theta\\ &=\frac12\,AB\cdot AC\sin(2\theta) &&\text{by (1)}\\ &=[ABC], \end{aligned} \] since \(2\theta=\angle BAC\). This proves the required equality.

The solution was checked against John Scholes' IMO solution archive (Kalva).