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China-TST-B

Geometry Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it China

Let three circles ⊙O\odot O, ⊙O1\odot O_1, ⊙O2\odot O_2, each externally tangent to the other two, lie on the same side of a line ℓ\ell. Let them be tangent to ℓ\ell at points AA, A1A_1, A2A_2 respectively, where point AA lies on segment A1A2A_1A_2. Denote the points of tangency of ⊙O\odot O with ⊙O1\odot O_1 and ⊙O2\odot O_2 as B1B_1 and B2B_2 respectively, and the point of tangency of ⊙O1\odot O_1 with ⊙O2\odot O_2 as CC. Let line A1CA_1C intersect line A2B2A_2B_2 at point D1D_1, and line A2CA_2C intersect line A1B1A_1B_1 at point D2D_2. Prove that line D1D2D_1D_2 is parallel to line ℓ\ell.

Solution

Proof 1. Consider the antipodal point PP of AA on the circle ⊙O\odot O.
We notice that in the right trapezoid A1A2O1O2A_1A_2O_1O_2, we have O1A1=O1B1O_1A_1 = O_1B_1 and OB1=OAOB_1 = OA.
Therefore,
∠A1BA=π−∠O1B1A1−∠OB1A=π−12(π−∠A1O1O)−12(π−∠AOO1)=12(∠A1O1O+∠AOO1)=π2, \begin{align*} \angle A_1BA &= \pi - \angle O_1B_1A_1 - \angle OB_1A \\ &= \pi - \frac{1}{2}(\pi - \angle A_1O_1O) - \frac{1}{2}(\pi - \angle AOO_1) \\ &= \frac{1}{2}(\angle A_1O_1O + \angle AOO_1) = \frac{\pi}{2}, \end{align*}
which implies that the line A1B1A_1B_1 passes through point PP. Similarly, A2B2A_2B_2 also passes through point PP.
We have,
∠D1B2B1=∠PB2B1=∠PAB1(P,B2,A,B1 concyclic)=∠B1A1A=∠B1CA1(ℓ is tangent to ⊙O1)=∠B1CD1. \begin{align*} \angle D_1B_2B_1 &= \angle PB_2B_1 = \angle PAB_1 \quad (P, B_2, A, B_1 \text{ concyclic}) \\ &= \angle B_1A_1A = \angle B_1CA_1 \quad (\ell \text{ is tangent to } \odot O_1) \\ &= \angle B_1CD_1. \end{align*}
Hence, points C,D1,B1,B2C, D_1, B_1, B_2 are concyclic. Similarly, D2D_2 also lies on the circumcircle of △CB1B2\triangle CB_1B_2. Therefore,
∠D1D2B1=∠D1B2B1=∠B1A1A. \angle D_1D_2B_1 = \angle D_1B_2B_1 = \angle B_1A_1A.
This implies that D1D2D_1D_2 is parallel to ℓ\ell. Proof completed. □\Box

Proof 2. We establish a coordinate system with ℓ\ell as the xx-axis and AA as the origin. Without loss of generality, let O(0,1)O(0, 1). For i=1,2i = 1, 2, let rir_i be the radius of ⊙Oi\odot O_i, which corresponds to the yy-coordinate of point OiO_i. From the equation
xOi2+(ri−1)2=(ri+1)2, x_{O_i}^2 + (r_i - 1)^2 = (r_i + 1)^2,
we obtain O1(−2r1,r1)O_1(-2\sqrt{r_1}, r_1) and O2(2r2,r2)O_2(2\sqrt{r_2}, r_2) (thus A1(−2r1,0)A_1(-2\sqrt{r_1}, 0) and A2(2r2,0)A_2(2\sqrt{r_2}, 0)). Furthermore, due to the tangent property of ⊙O1\odot O_1 and ⊙O2\odot O_2, we have
[2(r1+r2)]2+(r1−r2)2=(r1+r2)2, [2(\sqrt{r_1} + \sqrt{r_2})]^2 + (r_1 - r_2)^2 = (r_1 + r_2)^2,
which simplifies to
(∗)r1+r2=r1r2. (*) \qquad \sqrt{r_1} + \sqrt{r_2} = \sqrt{r_1} \sqrt{r_2}.
On the other hand, we have
AB1→=1⋅AO1→+r1⋅AO→r1+1, \overrightarrow{AB_1} = \frac{1 \cdot \overrightarrow{AO_1} + r_1 \cdot \overrightarrow{AO}}{r_1 + 1},
which yields B1(−2r1r1+1,2r1r1+1)B_1(\frac{-2\sqrt{r_1}}{r_1+1}, \frac{2r_1}{r_1+1}). Similarly, we have B2(2r2r2+1,2r2r2+1)B_2(\frac{2\sqrt{r_2}}{r_2+1}, \frac{2r_2}{r_2+1}) and C(2(r1r2−r2r1)r1+r2,2r1r2r1+r2)C(\frac{2(r_1\sqrt{r_2}-r_2\sqrt{r_1})}{r_1+r_2}, \frac{2r_1r_2}{r_1+r_2}).

y=2r1r1+1−2r1r1+1+2r1(x+2r1)=1r1x+2, y = \frac{\frac{2r_1}{r_1+1}}{\frac{-2\sqrt{r_1}}{r_1+1} + 2\sqrt{r_1}}(x + 2\sqrt{r_1}) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{r_1}}x + 2,
and the equation of line CA2CA_2 is given by
y=2r1r2r1+r22(r1r2−r2r1)r1+r2−2r2(x−2r2), y = \frac{\frac{2r_1r_2}{r_1+r_2}}{\frac{2(r_1\sqrt{r_2}-r_2\sqrt{r_1})}{r_1+r_2} - 2\sqrt{r_2}} (x - 2\sqrt{r_2}),
which can be combined to obtain
y=2r1r22r1r2(r1−r2)−2r2(r1+r2)[r1(y−2)−2r2]. y = \frac{2r_1r_2}{2\sqrt{r_1r_2}(\sqrt{r_1} - \sqrt{r_2}) - 2\sqrt{r_2}(r_1 + r_2)}[\sqrt{r_1}(y - 2) - 2\sqrt{r_2}].
Rearranging the terms, we obtain a linear equation in terms of yy, with the constant term
4r1r2(r1+r2), 4r_1r_2(\sqrt{r_1} + \sqrt{r_2}),
which is a symmetric expression in terms of r1r_1 and r2r_2. The coefficient of yy in this case is (using (*) to convert the expression into a homogeneous form)
2{r1r2r1−r1r2(r1−r2)+r2(r1+r2)}=2{(r1+r2)2r1−r1r2(r1−r2)+r2(r1+r2)}=2{r1r1+2r1r2+r2r1−r1r2+r2r1+r1r2+r2r2}=2{r1r1+2r1r2+2r2r1+r2r2}, \begin{aligned} & 2\{r_1r_2\sqrt{r_1} - \sqrt{r_1r_2}(\sqrt{r_1} - \sqrt{r_2}) + \sqrt{r_2}(r_1 + r_2)\} \\ &= 2\{(\sqrt{r_1} + \sqrt{r_2})^2\sqrt{r_1} - \sqrt{r_1r_2}(\sqrt{r_1} - \sqrt{r_2}) + \sqrt{r_2}(r_1 + r_2)\} \\ &= 2\{r_1\sqrt{r_1} + 2r_1\sqrt{r_2} + r_2\sqrt{r_1} - r_1\sqrt{r_2} + r_2\sqrt{r_1} + r_1\sqrt{r_2} + r_2\sqrt{r_2}\} \\ &= 2\{r_1\sqrt{r_1} + 2r_1\sqrt{r_2} + 2r_2\sqrt{r_1} + r_2\sqrt{r_2}\}, \end{aligned}
which is also a symmetric expression in terms of r1r_1 and r2r_2.
Therefore, we know that the yy-coordinates of points D1D_1 and D2D_2 have the same expression, which proves the proposition. □\square

Proof 3. (In fact, it is not necessary for circle OO to be tangent to line ℓ\ell.)
It is easy to see that O,B1,O1O, B_1, O_1 are collinear, O,B2,O2O, B_2, O_2 are collinear, O1,C,O2O_1, C, O_2 are collinear, OB1=OB2OB_1 = OB_2, O1A1=O1B1O_1A_1 = O_1B_1, O2A2=O2B2O_2A_2 = O_2B_2, and O1A1,O2A2O_1A_1, O_2A_2 are both perpendicular to ℓ\ell.
Now, we have:
∠CD1B2=∠CA1A2+∠A1A2B2=∠CA1B1+∠B1A1A2+∠A1A2B2=12∠CO1B1+12∠A1O1B1+12∠A2O2B2=(90∘−∠O1B1C)+12∠O1OO2=(∠OB1C−90∘)+90∘−∠OB1B2=∠CB1B2. \begin{aligned} \angle CD_1B_2 &= \angle CA_1A_2 + \angle A_1A_2B_2 \\ &= \angle CA_1B_1 + \angle B_1A_1A_2 + \angle A_1A_2B_2 \\ &= \frac{1}{2}\angle CO_1B_1 + \frac{1}{2}\angle A_1O_1B_1 + \frac{1}{2}\angle A_2O_2B_2 \\ &= (90^\circ - \angle O_1B_1C) + \frac{1}{2}\angle O_1OO_2 \\ &= (\angle OB_1C - 90^\circ) + 90^\circ - \angle OB_1B_2 \\ &= \angle CB_1B_2. \end{aligned}
Therefore, C,D1,B1,B2C, D_1, B_1, B_2 are concyclic. Similarly, C,D2,B2,B1C, D_2, B_2, B_1 are concyclic. Hence, C,D1,B1,B2,D2C, D_1, B_1, B_2, D_2 are concyclic. Furthermore, ∠CD1D2=∠CB1D2=180∘−∠A1B1C=∠CA1A2\angle CD_1D_2 = \angle CB_1D_2 = 180^\circ - \angle A_1B_1C = \angle CA_1A_2. Thus, we have D1D2//ℓD_1D_2//\ell. □\square

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