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Point $D$ in $\triangle{ABC}$ with $\angle{ABD}=5^{\circ}, \angle{DBC}=20^{\circ}, \angle{DCB}=65^{\circ}, \angle{DAC}=40^{\circ}$, find $\angle{ACD}$.

Problem Figure

Trigonometric Ceva theorem approach is quite straight forward:

$$ \begin{multline} \shoveleft \dfrac{\sin(50^{\circ}-x)}{\sin40^{\circ}}\dfrac{\sin x}{\sin65^{\circ}}\dfrac{\sin20^{\circ}}{\sin5^{\circ}}=1 \\ \shoveleft \implies \sin(50^{\circ}-x)\sin x=\dfrac{\sin5^{\circ} \cdot \sin40^{\circ}\cdot \sin65^{\circ}}{\sin20^{\circ}}=2\sin5^{\circ}\cdot \cos20^{\circ} \cdot \sin65^{\circ}\\ \shoveleft \implies \cos(50^{\circ}-2x)-\cos50^{\circ}=4\sin5^{\circ} \cdot \cos20^{\circ} \cdot \cos 25^{\circ} \\ \shoveleft \implies \cos(50^{\circ}-2x)=4\sin5^{\circ} \cdot \cos20^{\circ} \cdot \cos 25^{\circ}+\sin40^{\circ}\\ \shoveleft \qquad =4\sin5^{\circ} \cdot \cos20^{\circ} \cdot \cos 25^{\circ}+2\sin20^{\circ}\cdot \cos20^{\circ}\\ \shoveleft \qquad =2\cos20^{\circ}(2\sin5^{\circ}\sin65^{\circ}+\cos70^{\circ})\\ \shoveleft \qquad =2\cos20^{\circ}(\cos60^{\circ}-\cos70^{\circ}+\cos70^{\circ})\\ \shoveleft \qquad =\cos20^{\circ}\\ \shoveleft \implies 50^{\circ}-2x=\pm 20^{\circ}\\ \shoveleft \implies x=\boxed{15^{\circ}} \text{ or } x= \boxed{35^{\circ}} \end{multline} $$

When $x=35^{\circ}$ the $\angle{ACB}>90^{\circ}$:

another solution

As usual, any pure geometric approach to this problem? Thanks.

r ne
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  • I've found that numbers can be changed to $ABD=a$°, $DBC=(30-2a)$°, $DCB=(60+a)$°, $DAC=(60-4a)$°, where $0<a<15$. In this case answers are $3a$° and $(30+a)$°. In all cases angle between $AD$ and $BC$ is 60°. If one can prove this fact with pure geometry then solution will be ready. – Ivan Kaznacheyeu Apr 22 '22 at 08:55
  • I would say this is not true - because it's not for any $\beta$ that this equality always holds: $\dfrac{sin\beta sin(30+4\alpha-\beta)sin(30-2\alpha)}{sin(60-4\alpha)sin(60+\alpha)sin\alpha}=1$. – r ne Apr 23 '22 at 06:50
  • I've had mistype in my comment. "In all cases angle between $AD$ and $BC$ is 60°", I've meant "In all cases angle between $AD$ and $BC$ for smaller value of $\angle ACD$ which is $3a$ is equal 60°". And my fact is true, I can prove it with trigonometry. There are no two independent angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ in this construction, all angles are determined by one angle $\angle ABD=a$. – Ivan Kaznacheyeu Apr 25 '22 at 10:18
  • Okay I see you mean the angle between $AD$ and $BC$ keeps as constant as $60^{\circ}$. That means $\angle{BAD}=30^{\circ}+\alpha, \angle{ACD}=3\alpha$, so there is only one variable $\alpha$. In this case, applying Ceva theorem will get the same proof that the relationship holds: https://imgur.com/SoHO3ib. That's a good generalization but this settlement will miss one solution because $\angle{BAD}$ can be as small as $15^{\circ}$. You need extend the value range for $\alpha$ to negative values. – r ne Apr 26 '22 at 07:10
  • $\angle BAD$ in my construction cannot be equal 15°. Your second case is not lost in my construction, it is just other point than $A$. See https://i.stack.imgur.com/FGI6t.png – Ivan Kaznacheyeu Apr 26 '22 at 08:46
  • Then in this situation the angle between $AD$ and $BC$ is not $60^{\circ}$, so this situation was not included in your previous statement since you claimed the $AD-BC$ angle is constant at $60^{\circ}$. You missed it. It seems another phantom point approach, and you don't know how many phantom points are there since they are not the same points now. You need to prove the total number of situations. – r ne Apr 26 '22 at 12:15
  • In my correction from yesterday: "In all cases angle between $AD$ and $BC$ for smaller value of $\angle ACD$ which is $3a$ is equal to 60°." My construction shows that two solutions shown in question are parts of one solution. I consider only one situation, shown in picture from my last comment. But I still cannot prove with pure geometry, that this situation solves the problem. I mean I cannot show that angle between $AD$ and $BC$ is equal 60°. – Ivan Kaznacheyeu Apr 26 '22 at 12:16
  • Right, in one situation it is $60^{\circ}$ but in the other situation it is not $60^{\circ}$. So it's hard to assume it has to be $60^{\circ}$. Actually it is trying to prove from another direction: if this angle is $60^{\circ}$ then this equality holds. Nothing more than this. – r ne Apr 26 '22 at 12:54
  • This is a very nice problem in the series of making trigonometry work in a synthetic manner. I got interested in the question in the second i saw the comments of Ivan. Also:@IvanKaznacheyeu Wonderful observation and generalization, it marks the difference when trying to attack the proposed result with geometric weapons! – dan_fulea Apr 26 '22 at 18:34

1 Answers1

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Introduction: I will use the parameter $x=\widehat{ABD}$ instead of the variable $a$ that appears in the comment of Ivan Kaznacheyeu. It turns out that it is convenient to use also $$ y := 30^\circ-2x\ . $$ We try thus to show in a geometrical way a geometrical substitute for the trigonometric identity (Ceva): $$ \begin{aligned} 1 &= \frac{\sin 2y}{\sin (30^\circ+x)}\cdot \frac{\sin x}{\sin y}\cdot \frac{\sin (60^\circ+x)}{\sin 3x}\ , \\[3mm] & \qquad\text{ with the given particular form for $x=5^\circ$, $x=20^\circ$ :} \\[3mm] 1 &= \frac{\sin 40^\circ}{\sin \color{red}{35^\circ}}\cdot \frac{\sin 5^\circ}{\sin 20^\circ}\cdot \frac{\sin 65^\circ}{\sin \color{red}{15^\circ}}\ . \end{aligned} $$ The three fractions correspond to proportions of the sine values, as they appear in the first picture in the posted question. The problem is to find (geometrically) two angles (maybe like $\color{red}{35^\circ}$ and $\color{red}{15^\circ}$) adding to
$50^\circ$ and making the corresponding product equal to one.

Note that exchanging the red values, we obtain again a solution!

So it is enough to show geometrically that (either) one of the two configurations of points is valid.

If we are already using this argument, then why not also permute the factors in the numerator, so that the new obtained configuration of angles comes with a better situation / symmetry. I will show instead geometrically: $$ \begin{aligned} 1 &= \frac{\sin 2y}{\sin (30^\circ+x)}\cdot \frac{\sin x}{\sin 3x}\cdot \frac{\sin (60^\circ+x)}{\sin y}\ , \\[3mm] & \qquad\text{ with the given particular form for $x=5^\circ$, $y=20^\circ$ :} \\[3mm] 1 &= \frac{\sin 40^\circ}{\sin \color{red}{35^\circ}}\cdot \frac{\sin 5^\circ}{\sin \color{red}{15^\circ}}\cdot \frac{\sin 65^\circ}{\sin 20^\circ}\ . \end{aligned} $$ For such changes there is also a simple geometric argument. Exchanging numerator and denominator corresponds to passing from one intersection point of cevians to its isogonal conjugate. Else, permutations are generated by transpositions. (Below we use in fact only a transposition.) For a transposition of angles, like passing from a triangle $\Delta ABC$ and cevians for the tuple $(\color{blue}{x},x';\color{red}{y},y';z,z')$, where $\hat A=x+x'$, $\hat B=y+y'$ , $\hat C=z+z'$ to a cousin triangle with cevians for the tuple $(\color{red}{y},x';\color{blue}{x},y';z,z')$ we have the following simple observation:

Observation: Let $\Delta ABC$ be a triangle, let $S$ be a(n interior) point such that we have the following angle separation determined by the cevians $AS$, $BS$, $CS$: $$ \hat A=x+x'\ , \ \hat B=y+y'\ ,\ \hat C=z+z'\ . $$ Denote such a configuration of cevians by $(\color{blue}{x},x';\color{red}{y},y';z,z')$. Consider an other triangle, determined up to similarity, with three cevians realizing the separation of angles for the tuple $(\color{red}{y},x';\color{blue}{x},y';z,z')$. Then these cevians are also concurrent.

Picture proof: Let $A'\in AC$ be such through $BA'$ is building the angle $x$ with $BD$. Then $ABDA'$ is cyclic. So $\widehat {BA'D}=\widehat {BAD}=x'$.

math stackexchange Ceva theorem exchanging two angles geometric proof 4432713

Use the one "other triangle" $\Delta A'BC$ realizing the tuple $(y,x';x,y';z,z')$ with cevians $A'D$, $BD$, $CD$ concurrent in the same point $D$ to conclude.

$\square$

After this introduction we are in position to start the answer.



Claims and Proofs: Our task explicity is to show the following:

Proposition: Let $x$ be an angle between $0^\circ$ and $15^\circ$. Denote by $y$ the angle $y=30^\circ-2x$. Consider the triangle $\Delta ABC$ with angles $90^\circ-3x$ in $A$, and $4x$ in $B$, and $90^\circ-x$ in $C$. Draw three cevians as in the picture, that separate the angles as follows:

  • in $A$: $90^\circ-3x=2y+(30^\circ+x)$,
  • in $B$: $4x=x+3x$,
  • in $C$: $90^\circ-x=(60^\circ+x)+y$. Then the three cevians are concurrent in a point $D$.

math stackexchange cevians 4432713

Notes: In the picture, $Q:=AD\cap BC$, $I$ is the incenter in $\Delta ABQ$, the marked angle in $I$, exterior to $\Delta IAB$ has measure $2x+y=30^\circ$, and the marked angles in $Q$ follow because $IQ$ is the third angle bisector through $I$, and we know the angle in $Q$ exterior to $\Delta QAB$ with measure $4x+2y=2(2x+y)=60^\circ$.

It is because of realizing the angles $3y$ in $A$ and $4x$ in $B$ why i was choosing to state and proof this variation, among the many other obtained by the one or other permutation of angles.


For the proof of the proposition, we show first the following Lemma, which isolate a part of the figure.

Lemma: Let $x,y$ be angles as above, $2x+y=30^\circ$. Consider a triangle $\Delta ABQ$ with angles $2y$ in $A$, $4x$ in $B$, and the rest of $180^\circ - 2(2x+y)=2\cdot 60^\circ$ in $Q$. Let $I$ be its incenter. Reflect $I$ w.r.t. angle bisector of $\widehat{IBQ}$ in a point $I'\in BQ$. Construct the equilateral triangle $II'D$. (Here $B$ and $D$ are in different half-planes w.r.t. the bisector $AI$ of $\hat A$.) Then $D\in AQ$.

math stackexchange cevians geometric proof 4432713

Proof of the Lemma: The quadrilateral $II'QD$ is cyclic because of $\hat I+\hat Q=60^\circ + 2\cdot 60^\circ=180^\circ$. Then: $$ \widehat{IQD} = \widehat{II'D} = 60^\circ= \widehat{IQA}\ . $$ So $QD$, $QA$ build the same angle w.r.t. the reference line $IQ$.

$\square$

Corollary: Let $ABQ$ be the triangle from the above Lemma. Then the angle bisector of $\widehat{IBQ}$ intersects $AQ$ in a point $D$ with $\widehat{IDB} = 30^\circ$.

$\square$

We are now in the position to conclude:

Proof of the Proposition: Define $D$ rather as the intersection of the cevians from $A$ and $B$. (We show $D$ is on the cevian from $C$ from the Proposition.)

We compare $\Delta IAQ$ and $\Delta SAQ$, so $S$ is the reflection of $I$ w.r.t. $AQ$. From the Corrolary, we know the angle $\widehat{IDB}=30^\circ$ in the picture:

math stackexchange problem 4432713 angles in a triangle cevians

From this, we can compute all angles around $S$. We need: $$ \begin{aligned} \widehat{ASC} &= 180^\circ-\hat A-\hat C=180^\circ - 3x - (90^\circ-x)=2x\text{ in }\Delta ASC\ ,\\ \widehat{ASD} &= \widehat{AID} = 30^\circ + (30^\circ+x)=60^\circ +x\ ,\\ \widehat{DSB} &= 180^\circ - \widehat{ASC}-\widehat{DSA} \\ &=30^\circ+x=y+3x \\ &=\widehat{DAC}\ . \\[3mm] &\qquad\text{ So $ADSC$ is cyclic, giving } \\[3mm] \widehat{DCS} &= \widehat{DAS} =y\ . \end{aligned} $$ So the cevian $CD$ separates $C$ in the angles $y$ and $(60^\circ+x)$, what we wanted to show.

$\square$

dan_fulea
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