An isosceles triangle ABC is inscribed in a circle with ∠ACB=90∘ and EF is a chord of the circle such that neither E nor F coincide with C. Lines CE and CF meet AB at D and G respectively. Prove ∣CE∣⋅∣DG∣=∣EF∣⋅∣CG∣.
Solution
As ABC is isosceles and ∠ACB=90∘ then it follows that ∠CAB=∠CBA=45∘ Now quadrilateral ABEC is cyclic, so ∠BEC=180∘−∠BAC=135∘ Therefore by subtraction from 180∘, we know ∠BED=45∘. Let us define θ=∠BDE. As we now have two angles of △BDE, the third must take the total to 180∘ and so ∠EBD=180∘−45∘−θ=135∘−θ By subtracting ∠EBD and ∠CBA=45∘ from 180∘, we deduce that: ∠EBC=θ. Now as ∠EBC and ∠EFC are subtended by the common chord EC, we deduce that those two angles are equal. Putting these together, we deduce that ∠BDE=∠CFE. We can conclude that △CFE∼△CDG since ∠ECF is common. Therefore, ∣EF∣∣CE∣=∣DG∣∣CG∣ which is what had to be proved.
Solution 2:
Connect O to C and E to create the central angle ∠EOC, which is twice the angle ∠EFC. Because triangle EOC is isosceles, we have 180∘=∠EOC+2∠OCD=2(∠EFC+∠OCD). This implies ∠EFC+∠OCD=90∘, i.e. ∠EFC=90∘−∠OCD. Because AB is a diameter of the circle and triangle ABC is isosceles, CO is perpendicular to AB and so ∠CDO=90∘−∠OCD=∠EFC. Because triangles CFE and CDG share the angle at C and ∠CDO=∠EFC it follows that the two triangles △CFE and △CDG are similar. Therefore, ∣EF∣∣CE∣=∣GD∣∣CG∣, which gives the required equation ∣CE∣⋅∣DG∣=∣EF∣⋅∣CG∣.
Solution 3:
(using trigonometry) We use coordinates such that O=(0,0), C=(0,1), A=(−1,0) and B=(1,0). Let α=∠BOE and β=∠BOF, both in [0,2π). Because the points E and F are on the unit circle, these points have coordinates E=(cosα,sinα) and F=(cosβ,sinβ). To determine the coordinates of D, we use the Intercept Theorem (or similar triangles) applied to the figure obtained by dropping the perpendicular EP from E onto the line CO (the y-axis). This gives ∣DO∣/∣OC∣=∣EP∣/∣PC∣ and so ∣DO∣=1−sinαcosα. Similarly, we obtain ∣GO∣=1−sinβcosβ. If we work with signed distances, these formulas are correct for all positions of E and F, provided that neither E nor F is equal to C=(0,1). Therefore, ∣DG∣2=(1−sinαcosα−1−sinβcosβ)2=(1−sinα)2cos2α+(1−sinβ)2cos2β−(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2cosαcosβ=(1−sinα)21−sin2α+(1−sinβ)21−sin2β−(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2cosαcosβ=1−sinα1+sinα+1−sinβ1+sinβ−(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2cosαcosβ=(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)(1+sinα)(1−sinβ)+(1−sinα)(1+sinβ)−2cosαcosβ=(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2−2sinαsinβ−2cosαcosβ=(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2(1−cos(β−α)).
Since ∠EOF=β−α, the Cosine Rule applied to triangle EOF gives ∣EF∣2=2(1−cos(β−α)). Similarly, we obtain ∣CE∣2=2(1−cos(2π−α))=2(1−sinα). Finally, the Theorem of Pythagoras on △COG gives ∣CG∣2=1+∣OG∣2=1+(1−sinβcosβ)2=(1−sinβ)2(1−sinβ)2+cos2β=1−sinβ2. We now obtain ∣CE∣2⋅∣DG∣2=(1−sinα)(1−sinβ)2(1−sinα)⋅2(1−cos(β−α))=2(1−cos(β−α))⋅1−sinβ2=∣EF∣2⋅∣CG∣2
We use complex numbers such that the circle is given by the equation ∣z∣=1, C is the complex number i, A=−1 and B=1. Let E be eiα and F be eiβ. We determine the distances as functions of t and u where t=tan(2α)andu=tan(2β). To aid calculations below, we observe 1+t2=cos2(2α)1and1+u2=cos2(2β)1, 1−sinα=1−2sin(2α)cos(2α)=(cos(2α)−sin(2α))2=1+t2(1−t)2, cosα=cos2(2α)−sin2(2α)=1+t21−t2, 1−cos(α−β)=1−cos2(2α−β)+sin2(2α−β)=2sin2(2α−β)=2(sin(2α)cos(2β)−cos(2α)sin(2β))2=(1+t2)(1+u2)2(t−u)2.
Because D is on the line CE, it is of the form λeiα+(1−λ)i and has imaginary part equal to 0. Hence λsinα+(1−λ)=0 and so λ=1−sinα1. This gives D=1−sinαcosα=(1−t)21−t2=1−t1+t. A similar argument shows that G=1−u1+u. We can now calculate the quantities ∣CE∣2, ∣EF∣2, ∣CG∣2, ∣DG∣2 as follows: ∣CE∣2=cos2α+(1−sinα)2=2(1−sinα)=1+t22(1−t)2 ∣DG∣2=1−t1+t−1−u1+u2=(1−t)2(1−u)24(t−u)2 ∣EF∣2=(cosα−cosβ)2+(sinα−sinβ)2=2−2cosαcosβ−2sinαsinβ=2(1−cos(α−β))=(1+t2)(1+u2)4(t−u)2 ∣CG∣2=1+(1−u)2(1+u)2=(1−u)22(1+u2) Hence ∣CE∣2⋅∣DG∣2=(1+t2)(1−t)2(1−u)28(1−t)2(t−u)2and ∣EF∣2⋅∣CG∣2=(1+t2)(1+u2)(1−u)28(t−u)2(1+u2) and it follows that ∣CE∣⋅∣DG∣=∣EF∣⋅∣CG∣.
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