Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 7 / 261 of 300 #1661 of 2000

Problem 1661

National olympiad second round; IMO P1/P4
Geometry Difficulty 7.6 Prove it

Let ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 be two orthogonal circles, and let the center of ω1\omega_1 be OO. Diameter ABAB of ω1\omega_1 is selected so that BB lies strictly inside ω2\omega_2. The two circles tangent to ω2\omega_2, passing through OO and AA, touch ω2\omega_2 at FF and GG. Prove that FGOBFGOB is cyclic.

[i]Proposed by Eric Chen[/i]

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

1. Define the Problem and Setup:
Let ω1\omega_1 and ω2\omega_2 be two orthogonal circles with centers O1O_1 and O2O_2 respectively. Let OO be the center of ω1\omega_1. Consider a diameter ABAB of ω1\omega_1 such that BB lies strictly inside ω2\omega_2. The two circles tangent to ω2\omega_2, passing through OO and AA, touch ω2\omega_2 at points FF and GG. We need to prove that FGOBFGOB is cyclic.

2. Introduce Inversion:
To simplify the problem, we use inversion with respect to ω1\omega_1. Since ω2\omega_2 is orthogonal to ω1\omega_1, ω2\omega_2 remains unchanged under this inversion. Points AA and BB lie on ω1\omega_1, so they are preserved under inversion.

3. Analyze the Inversion:
Under inversion, the circles Γ1\Gamma_1 and Γ2\Gamma_2 (the circumcircles of AOF\triangle AOF and AOG\triangle AOG respectively) are mapped to lines AF2AF_2 and AG2AG_2 which are tangents to ω2\omega_2. Here, F2F_2 and G2G_2 are the images of FF and GG under inversion.

4. Properties of Inversion:
Since OO is the center of inversion, it maps to the point at infinity. Therefore, we need to show that F2BG2F_2BG_2 is a straight line. This would imply that F2F_2, BB, and G2G_2 are collinear.

5. Use of Polar Concept:
Note that F2G2F_2G_2 is the polar of AA with respect to ω2\omega_2. To prove that BB lies on the polar of AA with respect to ω2\omega_2, we need to show that BB lies on the line F2G2F_2G_2.

6. Intersection Points and Power of a Point:
Let ABAB intersect ω2\omega_2 at points MM and NN, where MM is closer to AA than NN. Since ω2\omega_2 is orthogonal to ω1\omega_1, the power of point OO with respect to ω2\omega_2 is given by:
OB2=OM×ON OB^2 = OM \times ON
This relationship confirms that BB lies on the polar of AA with respect to ω2\omega_2.

7. Conclusion:
Since BB lies on the polar of AA with respect to ω2\omega_2, and F2G2F_2G_2 is the polar of AA, it follows that F2F_2, BB, and G2G_2 are collinear. Therefore, FGOBFGOB is cyclic.

None \boxed{\text{None}}

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.