Cyclical points on a conic section

conic sectionseuclidean-geometrygeometryprojective-geometryspherical-geometry

$P_1, P_2, P_3, P_4$ are four arbitrary points on $xy = 1$. $P_1P_4$ intersects $P_2P_3$ at $D_1$, and similarly define $D_2, D_3$. Prove that $O, D_1, D_2, D_3$ are cyclical, where $O$ is the origin.

I have never seen a geometry problem asking to prove cyclical points on a conic section. So frankly not sure where to start. I suspect bashing coordinates would work, but that's quite a bit of efforts (and I am not sure how to go from coordinates to proving points are cyclical).

Is there some shortcut I could use by some geometric properties of $xy=1$?

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Best Answer

Here's a proof without coordinates. I will relabel $D_1=P_1P_4\cap P_2P_3$, $D_2=P_2P_4\cap P_1P_3$ and $D_3=P_3P_4\cap P_1P_2$.

Lemma 1. The centre of any rectangular hyperbola $\mathcal H$ through points $A$, $B$, $C$ lies on the nine-point circle of $\triangle ABC$.

Proof. Let $(ABC)$ meet $\mathcal H$ again at $D$, and let $H_A$, $H_B$, $H_C$, $H_D$ be the orthocentres of $\triangle BCD$, $\triangle CDA$, $\triangle DAB$, $\triangle ABC$, which all lie on $\mathcal H$. There is a $180^{\circ}$ rotation mapping $ABCD$ to $H_AH_BH_CH_D$, and the centre of this rotation is both the centre of $\mathcal H$ and the midpoint of $\overline{DH_D}$, so it lies on the nine-point circle of $\triangle ABC$. $\square$

Lemma 2. The incentre $I$ and excentres $I_1, I_2, I_3$ (opposite $D_1$, $D_2$, $D_3$) of $\triangle D_1D_2D_3$ lie on the hyperbola.

Proof. Take a projective transformation sending $P_1P_2P_3P_4$ to a square. Then $D_1$ and $D_3$ go to infinity, so $I_1I_2I_3I$ becomes a rectangle with sides parallel to $P_1P_2P_3P_4$. Then $D_2$ maps to the common centre of rectangle $I_1I_2I_3I$ and square $P_1P_2P_3P_4$, so these eight points lie on a common conic. $\square$

Now $(D_1D_2D_3)$ is the nine-point circle of $\triangle I_1I_2I_3$, so our two lemmas imply the result.

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