Let △ABC be a right triangle with the right angle at C and let D be a point on the segment BC. Denote the circumcircle of the triangle ABD by K. Let E be a point on K, such that the chord DE is perpendicular to AB. Prove that the triangle AEB is isosceles with the apex at B if and only if CA is tangent to K.
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Let T be the intersection of the chords DE and AB. We know that DTB is a right triangle. First, assume that the triangle ABE is isosceles and write ∠AEB=∠BAE=α. Inscribed angles ∠EAB and ∠EDB over BE are equal, so ∠EDB=α. Since DE is perpendicular to AB, we have ∠ABD=2π−α. In the right triangle ABC we have ∠ABC=2π−α, so ∠CAB=α and the angle ∠CAB between the line AC and the segment AB is equal to the angle ∠AEB over the chord AB. Thus, CA is tangent to the circumcircle K.
Conversely, assume that AC is tangent to K. Let ∠CAB=α. The angle ∠BAC is equal to the inscribed angle ∠AEB over the chord AB, so ∠AEB=α. Also, ∠ABC=2π−α, so ∠TDB=α. We see that ∠EDB=α and this angle is in turn equal to ∠BAE, because they are both inscribed angles over the same chord BE. We have ∠BAE=α=∠BEA and the triangle ABE is isosceles with the apex at B.
Source: MathNet,
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