35
G3. Let ABC be a triangle and let P be a point in its interior. Denote by D, E, F the
feet of the perpendiculars from P to the lines BC, CA, AB, respectively. Suppose that
AP
2
+ P D
2
= BP
2
+ P E
2
= CP
2
+ P F
2
.
Denote by I
A
, I
B
, I
C
the excentres of the triangle ABC. Prove that P is the circumcentre
of the triangle I
A
I
B
I
C
.
Solution. Since the given condition implies
0 = (BP
2
+ P E
2
) − (CP
2
+ P F
2
) = (BP
2
− P F
2
) − (CP
2
− P E
2
) = BF
2
− CE
2
,
we may put x = BF = CE. Similarly we may put y = CD = AF and z = AE = BD.
If one of three points D, E, F does not lie on the sides of the triangle ABC, then this
contradicts the triangle inequality. Indeed, if, for example, B, C, D lie in this order, we have
AB + BC = (x + y) + (z − y) = x + z = AC, a contradiction. Thus all three points lie on
the sides of the triangle ABC.
Putting a = BC, b = CA, c = AB and s = (a + b + c)/2, we have x = s − a, y = s − b,
z = s − c. Since BD = s − c and CD = s − b, we see that D is the point at which the
excircle of the triangle ABC opposite to A meets BC. Similarly E and F are the points at
which the excircle opposite to B and C meet CA and AB, respectively. Since both P D and
I
A
D are perpendicular to BC, the three points P, D, I
A
are collinear. Analogously P , E,
I
B
are collinear and P , F , I
C
are collinear.
The three points I
A
, C, I
B
are collinear and the triangle P I
A
I
B
is isosceles because
∠P I
A
C = ∠P I
B
C = ∠C/2. Likewise we have P I
A
= P I
C
and so P I
A
= P I
B
= P I
C
. Thus
P is the circumcentre of the triangle I
A
I
B
I
C
.
Comment 1. The conclusion is true even if the point P lies outside the triangle ABC.
Comment 2. In fact, the common value of AP
2
+ P D
2
, BP
2
+ P E
2
, CP
2
+ P F
2
is equal
to 8R
2
−s
2
, where R is the circumradius of the triangle ABC and s = (BC + CA + AB)/2.
We can prove this as follows:
Observe that the circumradius of the triangle I
A
I
B
I
C
is equal to 2R since its orthic
triangle is ABC. It follows that P D = P I
A
−D I
A
= 2R −r
A
, where r
A
is the radius of the
excircle of the triangle ABC opposite to A. Putting r
B
and r
C
in a similar manner, we have
P E = 2R −r
B
and P F = 2R − r
C
. Now we have
AP
2
+ P D
2
= AE
2
+ P E
2
+ P D
2
= (s − c)
2
+ (2R − r
B
)
2
+ (2R − r
A
)
2
.
Since
(2R − r
A
)
2
= 4R
2
− 4Rr
A
+ r
2
A
= 4R
2
− 4 ·
abc
4 area(4ABC)
·
area(4ABC)
s − a
+
µ
area(4ABC)
s − a
¶
2
= 4R
2
+
s(s − b)(s − c) − abc
s − a
= 4R
2
+ bc − s
2
and we can obtain (2R −r
B
)
2
= 4R
2
+ ca − s
2
in a similar way, it follows that
AP
2
+ P D
2
= (s − c)
2
+ (4R
2
+ ca − s
2
) + (4R
2
+ bc − s
2
) = 8R
2
− s
2
.