Given an equilateral triangle, find all points inside the triangle such that the distance from the point to one of the sides is equal to the geometric mean of the distances from the point to the other two sides of the triangle.
Problem
Source: Nordic Mathematical Contest 2014 #2
Tags: geometry, distance, Locus, Equilateral Triangle
richrow12
23.09.2017 19:21
I get answer.
Let $ABC$ be an original equilateral triangle with center at point $O$.
Then, answer is all points $P$, satysfying at least one of three conditions $\angle APB=120^{\circ}$ or $\angle BPC=120^{\circ}$ or $\angle CPA=120^{\circ}$.
richrow12
23.09.2017 19:31
Denote distance from $P$ to line $\ell$ as $\rho(P,\ell)$.
Suppose that $\rho^2(P,AB)=\rho(P,AC)\rho(P,BC)$. We will prove that $\angle APB = 120^{\circ}$.
Since $AB=AC=BC$ we conclude that $S^2_{APB}=S_{APC}S_{BPC}$. Let $A_1=AP~\cap~BC$ and $B_1=BP~\cap~AC$.
Observe that $\frac{BA_1}{CA_1}=\frac{S_{APB}}{S_{APC}}$ and $\frac{AB_1}{CB_1}=\frac{S_{APB}}{S_{BPC}}$.
Hence, $\frac{BA_1}{CA_1}=\frac{CB_1}{AB_1}$. From this we get $BA_1=CB_1$ and $A_1C=B_1A$. Therefore $\angle APB=120^{\circ}$.
For such points equality $\rho^2(P,AB)=\rho(P,AC)\rho(P,BC)$ can easy proved.