B2. Trapez is inscribed in a circle . The extensions of sides and intersect at point , and the tangents to the circle at points and intersect at point . Prove that segments and are parallel.
Solution
B2.
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Let be the center of the circle and the intersection of the line with the side . Since the trapezoid is cyclic, it is isosceles with legs and . Let . Due to symmetry, we can assume that . The triangle is isosceles with the vertex at , and the line is the altitude of this triangle due to symmetry, hence it is perpendicular to the side . The angle is the central angle over the arc of the circle , and the angle is the inscribed angle over the same arc, so . Since triangles and are congruent, it follows that . Therefore, triangles and are similar, as they share two angles (a right angle and the angle ), so . By the inscribed angle theorem, it follows that points , and are concyclic, hence . This proves that the line is perpendicular to the segment and , so these two segments are parallel.
2. method. Let be the center of the circle and the intersection of the line with the side . Similarly to the first solution, we conclude that the trapezoid is isosceles and denote . Due to symmetry, we can again assume that or . Then . The angle is the central angle over the arc of the circle , and the angle is the inscribed angle over the same arc, so . The quadrilateral is cyclic by Thales' theorem, so . This shows that , so the quadrilateral is also cyclic. From this it follows that
Due to symmetry, the line or is the altitude of the isosceles triangle , so and . From the above equality, it follows that
Therefore, the segments and are parallel.
1. ... method:
Observation that the trapezoid or the triangle is isosceles ... 1 point.
Observation that is the altitude of the triangle ... 1 point.
Proof that ... 1 point.
Proof that the angles and are equal or that the triangles and are similar ... 2 points.
Application of cyclic properties and conclusion ... 2 points.
Proof that ... 1 point.
Proof that ... 1 point.
Proof that or ... 1 point.
Observation that or is the altitude of the triangle ... 1 point.
Proof that ... 1 point.
Proof that ... 1 point.