Proof 1: Since △A1A2A3 is a non-equilateral triangle, it is easy to see that the circumcenters of △A1B1I, △A2B2I, and △A3B3I can all be defined.
We first look at the following lemma.
Lemma: Let the incenter of △ABC be I, and T be the circumcenter of △BIC. Then T must lie on the internal angle bisector of ∠A.
Proof of the lemma: As shown in the figure, construct the external angle bisectors of ∠B and ∠C, which intersect at the excenter E, and E lies on the internal angle bisector of ∠A. Since BE⊥BI and CE⊥CI, quadrilateral BECI is cyclic, and its circumcenter lies on EI. This circumcenter is also the circumcenter of △BIC. The lemma is proved.
We now proceed to prove the original problem.
For i=1,2,3, let Oi be the center of ⊙Ci, and Ti be the circumcenter of △Ai+1IAi+2. Clearly, Oi lies on the internal angle bisector of ∠Ai. By the lemma, Ti also lies on the internal angle bisector of ∠Ai. Therefore, △O1O2O3 and △T1T2T3 are perspective from point I. By Desargues' theorem, they must be perspective from a line, i.e., if we denote Qi(i=1,2,3) as the intersection of lines Oi+1Oi+2 and Ti+1Ti+2, then Q1,Q2,Q3 are collinear. Since Ti+1Ti+2 is the perpendicular bisector of AiI, and Oi+1Oi+2 is the perpendicular bisector of BiI, the points Q1,Q2,Q3 are precisely the circumcenters of △A1B1I, △A2B2I, and △A3B3I.
Note: Students unfamiliar with Desargues' theorem can reason as follows.
For △IO1O2, △IO2O3, and △IO3O1, and the point sets (T1,T2,Q3), (T2,T3,Q1), and (T3,T1,Q2), applying Menelaus' theorem, we can find some familiar results:
IT1O1T1⋅O2T2IT2⋅O1Q3O2Q3=1,O3T3IT3⋅IT2O2T2⋅O2Q1O3Q1=1,O1T1IT1⋅IT3O3T3⋅O3Q2O1Q2=1.
Multiplying the above three equations, we get
O1Q3O2Q3⋅O2Q1O3Q1⋅O3Q2O1Q2=1.
This shows that points Q1,Q2,Q3 are collinear.
Proof 2: This proof is based on inversion.
We take the incenter I as the center of inversion, and the power of inversion is arbitrary. Using the symbol “,” to denote the image of a point after inversion, we get the following "dual" diagram.
In fact, the image of ⊙Ci is the line Bi+1′Bi+2′, and these lines form △B1′B2′B3′. The line AiAi+1 is transformed into the circle Γi+2, and the side AiAi+1 is transformed into the arc not containing point I.
Since the distances from point I to the sides of △A1A2A3 are equal, the radii of these circles are equal.
We note that if Σ1,Σ2,Σ3 are three circles passing through a point I and not pairwise tangent, then their centers are collinear if and only if there exists another point J=I such that these three circles all pass through J.
We will apply this conclusion when Σi is the circumcircle of △AiBiI.
Since the inversion transforms Σi into the line Ai′Bi′, the lines A1′B1′,A2′B2′,A3′B3′ must be concurrent. This implies that △A1′A2′A3′ and △B1′B2′B3′ are similar, i.e., their corresponding sides are parallel. Since the radii of circles Γ1,Γ2,Γ3 are equal, the triangle formed by their centers, △P1P2P3, has sides parallel to those of △B1′B2′B3′. A similarity transformation centered at I with a ratio of 21 transforms △A1′A2′A3′ into a triangle with vertices at the midpoints of the sides of △P1P2P3. Therefore, the corresponding sides of △A1′A2′A3′ and △P1P2P3 are parallel. This leads to the conclusion.