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Geometry Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Iran

Let ABCDABCD be a parallelogram. Consider circles ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 such that ω1\omega_1 is tangent to segments ABAB, ADAD and ω2\omega_2 is tangent to segments BCBC, CDCD. Suppose that there exists a circle tangent to lines ADAD, DCDC and externally tangent to ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2. Prove that there exists a circle tangent to lines ABAB and BCBC and externally tangent to ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2.

Solution

Suppose ω1\omega_1 is tangent to ABAB, ADAD at P1P_1, Q1Q_1 respectively and ω2\omega_2 is tangent to CDCD, BCBC at P2P_2, Q2Q_2 respectively.

Lemma. Let a circle ω\omega be tangent to the half-lines BABA, BCBC at PP, QQ respectively. ω\omega is tangent to ω1\omega_1 if and only if BP=AB±AP1\sqrt{BP} = \sqrt{AB} \pm \sqrt{AP_1} for some choice of the sign.

Proof. PP1PP_1 is the common external tangent of ω\omega and ω1\omega_1. So ω\omega, ω1\omega_1 are tangent if and only if PP1=2rr1PP_1 = 2\sqrt{rr_1}, where rr, r1r_1 are the radii of ω\omega, ω1\omega_1 respectively. If we let ABC=2α\angle ABC = 2\alpha, then r=BPtanαr = BP \cdot \tan\alpha and r1=APcotαr_1 = AP \cdot \cot\alpha. So 2rr1=2BPAP12\sqrt{rr_1} = 2\sqrt{BP \cdot AP_1}. So ω\omega, ω1\omega_1 are tangent if and only if ABAP1BP=±2BPAP1AB - AP_1 - BP = \pm 2\sqrt{BP \cdot AP_1} and the claim follows. \square

By assumption, there is a circle ω\omega tangent to the lines DADA, DCDC at QQ, PP respectively and externally tangent to ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2. It is easily seen that ω\omega should be inside the angle ADC\angle ADC. So, by the lemma we have:
DQ=AD±AQ1DP=CD±CP2 \sqrt{DQ} = \sqrt{AD} \pm \sqrt{AQ_1} \\ \sqrt{DP} = \sqrt{CD} \pm \sqrt{CP_2}
for some choice of the signs. We have DP=DQDP = DQ, AQ1=AP1AQ_1 = AP_1, CP2=CQ2CP_2 = CQ_2, AD=BCAD = BC and CD=ABCD = AB. So by the above equations we get
BC±AP1=AB±CQ2BC±CQ2=AB±AP1. \sqrt{BC} \pm \sqrt{AP_1} = \sqrt{AB} \pm \sqrt{CQ_2} \Rightarrow \sqrt{BC} \pm \sqrt{CQ_2} = \sqrt{AB} \pm \sqrt{AP_1}.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Let ω\omega' be a circle tangent to the half-lines BABA, BCBC at PP', QQ' respectively, such that both sides of this equation are equal to BP\sqrt{BP'} (note that the value is positive). So ω\omega' is tangent to ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2 by the lemma and the assertion is proved. \square

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