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Geometry Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Two circles, ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2, centred at O1O_1 and O2O_2, respectively, meet at points AA and BB. A line through BB meets ω1\omega_1 again at CC, and ω2\omega_2 again at DD. The tangents to ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 at CC and DD, respectively, meet at EE, and the line AEAE meets the circle ω\omega through AA, O1O_1, O2O_2 again at FF. Prove that the length of the segment EFEF is equal to the diameter of ω\omega.

Solution

Begin by noticing that the lines CO1CO_1 and DO2DO_2 meet at a point PP on ω\omega, since (PO1,PO2)=(O1C,CB)+(BD,DO2)=(CB,BO1)+(O2B,BD)=(O2B,BO1)=(O1A,AO2)\angle(PO_1, PO_2) = \angle(O_1C, CB) + \angle(BD, DO_2) = \angle(CB, BO_1) + \angle(O_2B, BD) = \angle(O_2B, BO_1) = \angle(O_1A, AO_2). In what follows, we consider the case where O1O_1 and O2O_2 lie on the segments CPCP and DPDP, respectively; the other cases are similar.

Since the angles PCEPCE and PDEPDE are both right, and 2ACP=AO1P=AO2P=2ADP2\angle ACP = \angle AO_1P = \angle AO_2P = 2\angle ADP (the equality in the middle holds on account of PP lying on ω\omega), the points AA, CC, DD, EE, PP all lie on the circle on diameter EPEP, so FPFP is a diameter of ω\omega, and it is therefore sufficient to show that EF=FPEF = FP. Finally, since AFP=AO1P=2ACP=2AEP\angle AFP = \angle AO_1P = 2\angle ACP = 2\angle AEP (the first, respectively third, equality holds on account of APFO1APFO_1, respectively ACEPACEP, being cyclic), it follows that the triangle EFPEFP is isosceles with apex at FF.

Figure 1

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