Calculate the measure of the missing angle without trigonometry

angleeuclidean-geometrygeometryplane-geometry

This was from a question that was closed recently.

It says to find the measure of angle '$a$'. (answer: $60^\circ$)

image of the problem

The below is my attempt to solve the question.

attempt to answer

As you'll see I drew $\triangle DAC$ that is congruent to $\triangle CFD$.

And I drew $\triangle CGD$ congruent to $\triangle DBC$.

Also, I drew parallelogram $FGDI$.

But any of these weren't useful to solve find the measure of angle $a$.

I can find the value using trigonometry.

But sometimes trigonometry becomes boring so anyone in this community could help me to solve this question without using trigonometry?

Thank you.

Best Answer

Given: $\triangle ABC$ with $CE \perp AB$, $\angle ACE = 20^\circ$ and $\angle BCE = 10^\circ$. Also, there is a point $D$ on $CE$ extend such that $\angle CDA = 50^\circ$. The question asks us to find $\angle ABD$.

Here is a construction that works.

enter image description here

We choose a point $G$ on $CI$ extend such that $\angle ABG = 10^\circ$. Then $ACBG$ is cyclic and a quick angle chasing shows that $\angle CAG = \angle CBG = 90^\circ$. So $CG$ must be a diameter of the circumcircle of $ACBG$ and its midpoint $O$ is the circumcenter. That leads to $\triangle AOB$ being an equilateral triangle.

As $\angle ADC = 50^\circ$ and $\angle DCF = 10^\circ$, we see that $\angle AFB = \angle BAF = 40^\circ$. So $BF = AB = BO$.

Since $\angle OBC = 20^\circ$, we have $\angle OFB = \angle BOF = 10^\circ$

Then notice that $\triangle AOC \cong \triangle OBF$ (by S-A-S)

So it follows that $AC = OF = CH$ and since $\angle GOF = \angle GCH = 30^\circ$, $OFHC$ is a parallelogram and we obtain that $\angle BFH = \angle BCO = 20^\circ$.

$\angle AHD = \angle DAH = 40^\circ$. As segment $BD$ subtends $40^\circ$ at point $H$ and $F$ on the same side of the segment, $BDFH$ is cyclic. That leads to $\angle BDH = \angle BFH = 20^\circ$.

Finally, $\angle ABD = \angle AHD + \angle BDH = 60^\circ$.