10. (NET 3) Prove that for each every cyclic quadrilateral can be decomposed into cyclic quadrilaterals.
Solution
10. Consider first a triangle. It can be decomposed into cyclic quadrilaterals by perpendiculars from some interior point of it to the sides; also, it can be decomposed into a cyclic quadrilateral and a triangle, and it follows by induction that this decomposition is possible for every . Since every triangle can be cut into two triangles, the required decomposition is possible for each . It remains to treat the cases and . . If the center of the circumcircle is inside a cyclic quadrilateral , then the required decomposition is effected by perpendiculars from to the four sides. Otherwise, let and be the vertices of the obtuse angles of the quadrilateral. Draw the perpendiculars at and to the lines and respectively, and choose points and on them such that . Then the required decomposition is effected by and the perpendiculars from and to . . If is an isosceles trapezoid with and , then it is trivially decomposed by lines parallel to . Otherwise, can be decomposed into a cyclic quadrilateral and a trapezoid; this trapezoid can be cut into an isosceles trapezoid and a triangle, which can further be cut into three cyclic quadrilaterals and an isosceles trapezoid. Remark. It can be shown that the assertion is not true for and .