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Geometry Difficulty 6.6 National olympiad Prove it China

The circle Γ1\Gamma_1, with radius rr, is internally tangent to the circle Γ2\Gamma_2 at SS. The chord ABAB of Γ2\Gamma_2 is tangent to Γ2\Gamma_2 at CC. Let MM be the midpoint of the arc AB^\widehat{AB} (not containing SS), and let NN be the foot of the perpendicular from MM to the line ABAB. Prove that AC×CB=2r×MNAC \times CB = 2r \times MN. (Posed by Ye Zhonghao)

Solution

Figure 1

Solution It is well known that S,C,MS, C, M are collinear. Indeed, consider the dilation centered at SS that sends Γ1\Gamma_1 to Γ2\Gamma_2. Then the line ABAB is sent to the line ll parallel to ABAB and tangent to Γ2\Gamma_2, i.e. the line tangent to Γ2\Gamma_2 at MM (the midpoint of AB^\widehat{AB}). Thus, this dilation sends CC (the points of tangency of the line ABAB and Γ1\Gamma_1) to MM (the points of tangency of the line ll and Γ2\Gamma_2), from which it follows that S,C,MS, C, M are collinear.

By the power-of-point theorem, we have AC×CB=SC×CMAC \times CB = SC \times CM. It suffices to show that
SC×CM=2r×MNorSC2r=MNCM.1 SC \times CM = 2r \times MN \quad \text{or} \quad \frac{SC}{2r} = \frac{MN}{CM}. \qquad \textcircled{1}
Set MCN=α\angle MCN = \alpha. Then SCA=α\angle SCA = \alpha. By the extended sine law, we have SC2r=sinα\frac{SC}{2r} = \sin \alpha. In the right triangle MNCMNC, we also have sinα=MNCM\sin \alpha = \frac{MN}{CM}. Combining the last two equations, we obtain ①.

(We can also derive ① by observing that the triangles MNCMNC and CDSCDS are similar.)

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