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Problem 1965

National Olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Geometry Difficulty 7.1 Prove it Irish Mathematical Olympiad · Ireland

The incircle C1C_1 of triangle ABCABC touches the sides ABAB and ACAC at the points DD and EE, respectively. The incircle C2C_2 of the triangle ADEADE touches the sides ABAB and ACAC at the points PP and QQ, and intersects the circle C1C_1 at the points MM and NN. Prove that
(a) the centre of the circle C2C_2 lies on the circle C1C_1;
(b) the four points M,N,P,QM, N, P, Q in appropriate order form a rectangle if and only if twice the radius of C1C_1 is three times the radius of C2C_2.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

(a) Let II be the incentre of ABC\triangle ABC, and let JJ be the point of intersection of AIAI and C1C_1. Then, the line AJAJ is the angle bisector of DAE\angle DAE and the triangles ADIADI and AEIAEI are congruent. In particular, EIA=AID\angle EIA = \angle AID. We have EIJ=2EDJ\angle EIJ = 2\angle EDJ as both are subtended by the same arc. Also, JID=2JDA\angle JID = 2\angle JDA (chord tangent angle). Thus JDA=EDJ\angle JDA = \angle EDJ and DJDJ is the angle bisector of EDA\angle EDA. So JJ is the incentre of ADE\triangle ADE, and it lies on C1C_1.

Figure 1
Figure 2

(b) First Solution: Let r1r_1 and r2r_2 denote the radiuses of the circles C1C_1 and C2C_2. Let OO be the midpoint of the segment MNMN and RR the midpoint of the segment DEDE. PQMNPQ \parallel MN as they are both perpendicular on AIAI. Thus MNPQMNPQ is an isosceles trapezium with bases MNMN and PQPQ. It is a rectangle if and only if the lengths of these segments are equal. We calculate them in terms of r1r_1 and r2r_2.

In OIM\triangle OIM, we have OM=MIsin(I)|OM| = |MI|\sin(\angle I), while from the cosine formula in IMJ\triangle IMJ, cos(I)=2r12r222r12=1r122r12\cos(\angle I) = \frac{2r_1^2 - r_2^2}{2r_1^2} = 1 - \frac{r_1^2}{2r_1^2}, thus
sin(I)=1cos2(I)=r24r12r222r12and so \sin(\angle I) = \sqrt{1 - \cos^2(\angle I)} = \frac{r_2\sqrt{4r_1^2 - r_2^2}}{2r_1^2} \quad \text{and so}
MN=2OM=r24r12r22r1. |MN| = 2|OM| = \frac{r_2\sqrt{4r_1^2 - r_2^2}}{r_1}.

On the other hand, JPQ\triangle JPQ and IDE\triangle IDE are similar as they have parallel sides. This implies PQ/DE=r2/r1|PQ|/|DE| = r_2/r_1 and so PQ=r2r1DE|PQ| = \frac{r_2}{r_1}|DE|. We also have DE/2=ER=QE|DE|/2 = |ER| = |QE| as both ERER and EQEQ are tangent to C2C_2. From the trapezium JQEIJQEI with right angles at QQ and EE we get
QE2=r12(r1r2)2=2r1r2r22. |QE|^2 = r_1^2 - (r_1 - r_2)^2 = 2r_1r_2 - r_2^2.
Thus PQ=r2r1DE=2r2r1QE=2r2r12r1r2r22. \text{Thus } |PQ| = \frac{r_2}{r_1}|DE| = \frac{2r_2}{r_1}|QE| = \frac{2r_2}{r_1}\sqrt{2r_1r_2 - r_2^2}.

From the above,
MN=PQ    4r12r22=22r1r2r22    (2r1r2)(2r1+r2)=4r2(2r1r2)    2r1=3r2. \begin{align*} |MN| = |PQ| &\iff \sqrt{4r_1^2 - r_2^2} = 2\sqrt{2r_1r_2 - r_2^2} \\ &\iff (2r_1 - r_2)(2r_1 + r_2) = 4r_2(2r_1 - r_2) \\ &\iff 2r_1 = 3r_2. \end{align*}

(b) Second Solution: Let r1r_1 and r2r_2 denote the radiuses of the circles C1C_1 and C2C_2. Let OO be the midpoint of the segment MNMN, FF the midpoint of the segment DEDE and RR the midpoint of PQPQ. PQMNPQ \parallel MN as they are both perpendicular on AIAI. Thus MNPQMNPQ is an isosceles trapezium with bases MNMN and PQPQ. It is a rectangle if and only if the lengths of these segments are equal. Using Pythagoras, this is easily seen to be equivalent to OJ=RJ|OJ| = |RJ|.
Figure 3

The line through MM and NN is the radical axis of the two circles C1C_1 and C2C_2. The point OO has therefore the same power with respect to these circles, i.e.
OJ(2r1OJ)=(r2OJ)(r2+OJ),henceOJ=r222r1. |OJ| \cdot (2r_1 - |OJ|) = (r_2 - |OJ|)(r_2 + |OJ|), \quad \text{hence} \quad |OJ| = \frac{r_2^2}{2r_1}.

As QREFQR \parallel EF and QJEIQJ \parallel EI, the triangles RJQRJQ and FIEFIE are similar and so
RJr2=FIr1=r1r2r1,henceRJ=r2r1(r1r2).Finally we see \frac{|RJ|}{r_2} = \frac{|FI|}{r_1} = \frac{r_1 - r_2}{r_1}, \quad \text{hence} \quad |RJ| = \frac{r_2}{r_1}(r_1 - r_2). \quad \text{Finally we see}
OJ=RJ    r222r1=r2r1(r1r2)    r2=2(r1r2)    3r2=2r1. |OJ| = |RJ| \iff \frac{r_2^2}{2r_1} = \frac{r_2}{r_1}(r_1 - r_2) \iff r_2 = 2(r_1 - r_2) \iff 3r_2 = 2r_1.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.