We are given a triangle and a point on the side . Let be the circumcenter of and the circumcenter of . Prove that the triangles and are similar.
G. Baron, Vienna
Austria competition problems, 2010
Solution
Let the point be chosen in such a way that triangles and are similar and have no common interior points. Furthermore, let be chosen on such that triangles and are also similar. This means that results from by rotation and subsequent homothety with ratio , both with center .
Since and , we see that . This means that the points , , and lie on a common circle. The circumcenter of is therefore also the circumcenter of , and therefore results from the circumcenter of by rotation and subsequent homothety with ratio , both with center .
We therefore see that and . Triangles and are therefore similar, as claimed.
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