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Geometry Difficulty 6.0 National Olympiad Find the answer Italy

Problem:

Three circles Γ,Γ1,Γ2\Gamma, \Gamma_{1}, \Gamma_{2} of radii 6, 3, 2 respectively are given. Γ1\Gamma_{1} and Γ2\Gamma_{2} are externally tangent at AA, while Γ\Gamma is internally tangent to both other circles, respectively at A1A_{1} and A2A_{2}. Determine the radius of the circle circumscribed about AA1A2A A_{1} A_{2}.

Pick one

Solution

Solution:

The answer is (E)\mathbf{( E )}. Let O,O1,O2O, O_{1}, O_{2} be the centers of Γ,Γ1,Γ2\Gamma, \Gamma_{1}, \Gamma_{2} respectively. Since Γ1,Γ2\Gamma_{1}, \Gamma_{2} are externally tangent, the distance O1O2O_{1} O_{2} equals the sum of the radii of Γ1,Γ2\Gamma_{1}, \Gamma_{2}, that is O1O2=5O_{1} O_{2}=5. Similarly, the distance OO1O O_{1} equals the difference of the radii of Γ\Gamma and Γ1\Gamma_{1} (and is thus equal to 63=36-3=3), and the distance OO2O O_{2} equals 62=46-2=4. Since OO22+OO12=32+42=52=O1O22O O_{2}^{2}+O O_{1}^{2}=3^{2}+4^{2}=5^{2}=O_{1} O_{2}^{2}, the triangle OO1O2O O_{1} O_{2} is right-angled at OO, and it follows that the triangle A1OA2A_{1} O A_{2} is an isosceles right triangle.

Now let OO^{\prime} be the center of the circle circumscribed about A1AA2A_{1} A A_{2}. The triangle A1OA2A_{1} O^{\prime} A_{2} is certainly isosceles on base A1A2A_{1} A_{2}; we want to show that it is also right-angled at OO^{\prime}, that is, that OO^{\prime} is the reflection of OO with respect to A1A2A_{1} A_{2}, hence that OA1=OA2=6O^{\prime} A_{1}=O^{\prime} A_{2}=6.

We have A1OA2^=2(180A1AA2^)\widehat{A_{1} O^{\prime} A_{2}}=2\left(180^{\circ}-\widehat{A_{1} A A_{2}}\right) (central angle subtending the same arc as A1AA2^\widehat{A_{1} A A_{2}}, but on the opposite side); on the other hand, a quick angle computation gives 180A1AA2^=A1AO1^+A2AO2^=AA1O1^+AA2O2^=AO1O^/2+AO2O^/2=45180^{\circ}-\widehat{A_{1} A A_{2}}=\widehat{A_{1} A O_{1}}+\widehat{A_{2} A O_{2}}=\widehat{A A_{1} O_{1}}+\widehat{A A_{2} O_{2}}=\widehat{A O_{1} O}/2+\widehat{A O_{2} O}/2=45^{\circ}, which precisely implies the desired orthogonality.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from it; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.