The quadrilateral ABCD is inscribed in a circle. It is known that the lines DA and BC intersect at an angle of 60∘ and that ∣DA∣=∣BC∣=2, ∣AB∣=4. Find the radius of the circle.
Solution
Let the lines DA and CB intersect at E. We have to distinguish two possibilities: either ∣CD∣<∣AB∣ or ∣CD∣>∣AB∣, see diagram below.
Since AD=BC, by symmetry we get DE=CE and AB∥DC. Since ∠AEB=60∘ this implies that △ABE and △DCE are equilateral. Thus ∠ABC=60∘ if ∣CD∣<∣AB∣ and ∠ABC=120∘ if ∣CD∣>∣AB∣. The Cosine Rule for the triangle ABC now gives
∣CA∣2=∣AB∣2+∣BC∣2−2⋅∣AB∣⋅∣BC∣⋅cos∠ABC.
Using cos60∘=−cos120∘=1/2, we get ∣CA∣2=16+4±8, hence ∣CA∣=23 if ∣CD∣<∣AB∣ and ∣CA∣=27 if ∣CD∣>∣AB∣.
The radius R of the circle is the circumradius of △ABC which is given by the Sine Rule for this triangle
R=2sin∠ABC∣CA∣=3∣CA∣.
Therefore, R=2 if ∣CD∣<∣AB∣ and R=237 if ∣CD∣>∣AB∣.
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