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Turkish Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 6.6 National Olympiad Prove it Turkey

A circle Γ\Gamma and a line ℓ\ell, which does not intersect the circle, are given in the plane. Determine the intersection of all circles with diameters ABAB, where {A,B}\{A, B\} is any pair of points on the line ℓ\ell for which points P,Q,R,SP, Q, R, S on the circle Γ\Gamma satisfying PQ∩RS={A}PQ \cap RS = \{A\} and PS∩QR={B}PS \cap QR = \{B\} exist.

Solution

Let OO be the center and rr be the radius of the circle Γ\Gamma. If PQ∩RS={A}PQ \cap RS = \{A\} and PS∩QR={B}PS \cap QR = \{B\} where the points PP, QQ, RR, SS lie on the circle Γ\Gamma; then by Miquel's theorem for the triangle ABQABQ, the circumcircles of the triangles APSAPS and BRSBRS intersect at a point KK lying on the side ABAB.

Figure 1

Considering the powers of the points AA and BB with respect to these circles we obtain AO2−r2=AS⋅AR=AK⋅AB=AK2+AK⋅KBAO^2 - r^2 = AS \cdot AR = AK \cdot AB = AK^2 + AK \cdot KB and BO2−r2=BS⋅BP=BK⋅BA=BK2+BK⋅KABO^2 - r^2 = BS \cdot BP = BK \cdot BA = BK^2 + BK \cdot KA. In particular, AO2−AK2=BO2−BK2AO^2 - AK^2 = BO^2 - BK^2, and OKOK is perpendicular to ABAB. Then we also have AK⋅KB=OK2−r2AK \cdot KB = OK^2 - r^2. Hence, for any pair {A,B}\{A, B\} satisfying the conditions of the problem, the circle with diameter ABAB passes through two points on the line OKOK which are at a distance OK2−r2\sqrt{OK^2 - r^2} away from the line ℓ\ell. Since OO, KK and rr are independent of AA and BB, these two points are constant and form the intersection set.

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