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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Belarus

Three circles ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2 and ω3\omega_3 with non-colinear centres O1O_1, O2O_2 and O3O_3 are drawn such that ω1\omega_1 externally touches ω2\omega_2 and ω3\omega_3 at the points PP and QQ respectively. An arbitrary point CC is chosen on ω1\omega_1. The line CPCP intersects ω2\omega_2 for the second time at the point BB, and the line CQCQ intersects ω3\omega_3 for the second time at the point AA. Point OO is the circumcenter of the triangle ABCABC.
Prove that while point CC varies over all positions on ω1\omega_1, the locus of the points OO is the circle and the center of this circle lies on the circumcircle of the triangle O1O2O3O_1O_2O_3. (Mikhail Karpuk)

Solution

Let's first consider the case when the radii of ω2\omega_2 and ω3\omega_3 are different (without loss of generality assume that the radius of ω3\omega_3 is greater than the radius of ω2\omega_2). Consider three homotheties: l1l_1 centered at QQ and mapping ω3\omega_3 to ω1\omega_1; l2l_2 centered PP and mapping ω1\omega_1 to ω2\omega_2; and l3=l2l1l_3 = l_2 \circ l_1 mapping ω3\omega_3 to ω2\omega_2. Since l1l_1 maps AA to CC, l2l_2 maps CC to BB, then l3l_3 maps AA to BB, so its center (denoted by II) lies on the line ABAB.
Denote ACB=PCQ=α\angle ACB = \angle PCQ = \alpha, this angle is fixed (by a fixed value we denote any value which doesn't depend on the position of CC). Then the angle AOB=2α\angle AOB = 2\alpha is also fixed, which means that all triangles AOBAOB are similar to each other and the ratio OAAB=12sinα\frac{OA}{AB} = \frac{1}{2\sin\alpha} is fixed.
Let IAIB=t>1\frac{IA}{IB} = t > 1 be the homothety coefficient of l3l_3, this number is fixed. Then the ratio
ABIA=IBIAIA=1t1 is also fixed. \frac{AB}{IA} = \frac{IB-IA}{IA} = \frac{1}{t} - 1 \text{ is also fixed.}
In the triangle IAOIAO we can find the ratio
OAIA=OAABABIA=12sinα(1t1) \frac{OA}{IA} = \frac{OA}{AB} \cdot \frac{AB}{IA} = \frac{1}{2\sin\alpha} \cdot \left(\frac{1}{t} - 1\right)
and the angle
OAI=180OAB=90+α. \angle OAI = 180^{\circ} - \angle OAB = 90^{\circ} + \alpha.
Hence all triangles IAOIAO are similar to each other, in particular, the angle AIOAIO and the ratio IOIA\frac{IO}{IA} are fixed. Therefore for any position of the point CC on the circle ω1\omega_1, the spiral similarity \ell with center II, angle AIOAIO and coefficient IOIA\frac{IO}{IA} maps AA to OO. Since the point AA varies over all positions on ω3\omega_3, the locus of OO is the circle ω=(ω3)\omega = \ell(\omega_3).
Note that the homothety 3\ell_3 and the spiral similarity \ell have a common center II. Therefore (B)=3(A)=3(A)=3(O3)=O2\ell(B) = \ell \circ \ell_3(A) = \ell_3 \circ \ell(A) = \ell_3(O_3) = O_2. Hence \ell maps the triangle AOBAOB to the triangle O3OO2O_3O'O_2 and
O3OO2=AOB=2ACB=QO1P=O3O1O2, \angle O_3O'O_2 = \angle AOB = 2\angle ACB = \angle QO_1P = \angle O_3O_1O_2,
from which we conclude that OO' lies on the circumcircle of the triangle O1O2O3O_1O_2O_3.

Let now the radii of the circles ω2\omega_2 and ω3\omega_3 be equal. In this case 3\ell_3 is a translation by the vector O3O2\overrightarrow{O_3O_2}, the point II is not defined and the quadrilateral ABO2O3ABO_2O_3 is a parallelogram. Let DD be a such point that triangles ABDABD and O3O2O1O_3O_2O_1 are equal and have the same orientation. The quadrilateral O3ADO1O_3ADO_1 is a parallelogram, while the triangles QAO3QAO_3 and QCO1QCO_1 are similar. Hence the segments DO1DO_1 and O1CO_1C are parallel and
DO1+O1C=O3A(1+QO1QO3)=O3Q(1+QO1QO3)=O1O3=DA=DB. DO_1 + O_1C = O_3A \left(1 + \frac{QO_1}{QO_3}\right) = O_3Q \left(1 + \frac{QO_1}{QO_3}\right) = O_1O_3 = DA = DB.

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