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Ukrainian Mathematical Olympiad

Ukraine geometry

Problem

A point is chosen on the side of an acute triangle (and is distinct from the vertices). Points and are defined as the centers of the circumcircles of the triangles and respectively. Prove that, as soon as the triangle is fixed, there exists a point in the plane, which is different from and belongs to the circumcircles of all the possible triangles (generated by the different positions of the point ).
Solution
We claim that this point is the circumcenter of triangle .

If is an altitude, the statement is obvious. We may assume that triangle is acute-angled and triangle is obtuse-angled. Let and be the midpoints of sides and respectively. Since , as can be easily shown, , and the point lies inside the angle . Then , . It follows that the quadruple of points , , , is concyclic.
Final answer
The fixed point is the circumcenter of triangle ABC.

Techniques

Triangle centers: centroid, incenter, circumcenter, orthocenter, Euler line, nine-point circleCyclic quadrilateralsAngle chasing