TITLE: Cevians $AD$, $BE$, $CF$ are concurrent, as are cevians $DP$, $EQ$, $FR$; show that $AP$, $BQ$, $CR$ are concurrent
QUESTION [7 upvotes]: The following is one version of the Cevian Nest Theorem:

In $\triangle ABC$, $D$, $E$, and $F$ are points on $BC$, $CA$, and $AB$, respectively, such that $AD$, $BE$, and $CF$ are concurrent lines. Points $P$, $Q$, and $R$ respectively on $EF$, $FD$, and $DE$ are such that $DP$, $EQ$, and $FR$ are concurrent. Prove that $AP$, $BQ$, and $CR$ are also concurrent.

I am really not getting how to proceed at all. I know I'm supposed to use Ceva's theorem but where do I apply it.

REPLY [16 votes]: Yes, Ceva's a good choice here. Let's recall another version of Ceva's theorem

In the above picture, the three lines $XI, YH, ZG$ are concurrent if and only if 
$$\frac{YI}{IZ}\cdot \frac{ZH}{HX} \cdot\frac{XG}{GY} = 1.$$
Now, the ratios of the lengths are equal to the ratios of the areas of certain triangles, more specifically:
$$\frac{YI}{IZ} = \frac{\triangle XYI}{\triangle XZI},\dots$$
here, we simply denote the triangle by its area. But 
$$\triangle XYI = \frac12 XY\cdot XI \cdot \sin (\angle YXI), $$
and similar for $\triangle XZI$. So
$$\frac{YI}{IZ} = \frac{XY}{XZ}\cdot \frac{\sin\angle YXI}{\sin \angle ZXI}.$$
Taking cyclic product, we have the sine version of Ceva's theorem: That the three lines $XI, YH, ZG$ are concurrent if and only if
the product $\frac{\sin\angle YXI}{\sin \angle ZXI} \cdot \frac{\sin\angle ZYH}{\sin \angle XYH} \cdot \frac{\sin\angle XZG}{\sin \angle YZG}$ of cyclic ratios of sines is equal to $1$.
Now that's what we will use in this problem:

So we want to show that
$$\mathcal{F} = \frac{\sin\angle BAP}{\sin\angle PAC}\cdot \frac{\sin\angle ACR}{\sin\angle RCB} \cdot \frac{\sin\angle{CBQ}}{\sin\angle QBA} = 1.\tag{1}$$
Now
$$\frac{\sin\angle BAP}{\sin\angle PAC} \cdot \frac{AF}{AE} =\frac{\triangle AFP}{\triangle AEP} = \frac{FP}{PE},$$
and so on.
Taking the cyclic product of the above, we obtain
$$\mathcal{F} \cdot \frac{AF}{AE}\cdot\frac{BD}{BF}\cdot \frac{CE}{CD} = \frac{FP}{PE}\cdot\frac{ER}{RD}\cdot\frac{DQ}{QF}.$$
And (1) follows from classic Ceva's theorem with the given concurrences.