Browse · MathNet
PrintThai Mathematical Olympiad
Thailand geometry
Problem
Let be the circumcircle of a triangle . Let be a variable point on the arc that does not contain () and be the incenters of the triangles and , respectively. Find the locus of the second intersection point of the circumcircle of and as varies on the arc .
Solution
Consider the following well known Lemma:
Lemma. Let be a triangle with incircle . If is the midpoint of the arc of the circumcircle not containing , then .
Proof of Lemma. Let the circumcircle of intersect again at . Let and be the midpoints of the arcs (not containing ) and (not containing ), respectively. Let be the intersection of and the line through parallel to (if is the same as , i.e., , the results below still hold.)
By above Lemma and since is an isosceles trapezoid, we get and . Since and lie on and respectively, . Therefore, and since , we have that . Then, , and since and , we get Therefore, . This implies that the line bisects the segment . Therefore, must lie on the intersection of and the line joining and the midpoint of . Since are fixed independent of , therefore, is the only loci as varies on the arc .
Lemma. Let be a triangle with incircle . If is the midpoint of the arc of the circumcircle not containing , then .
Proof of Lemma. Let the circumcircle of intersect again at . Let and be the midpoints of the arcs (not containing ) and (not containing ), respectively. Let be the intersection of and the line through parallel to (if is the same as , i.e., , the results below still hold.)
By above Lemma and since is an isosceles trapezoid, we get and . Since and lie on and respectively, . Therefore, and since , we have that . Then, , and since and , we get Therefore, . This implies that the line bisects the segment . Therefore, must lie on the intersection of and the line joining and the midpoint of . Since are fixed independent of , therefore, is the only loci as varies on the arc .
Final answer
A single fixed point: let M and N be the midpoints of the arcs opposite the two chosen vertices (not containing the third), and let P be the point where the line through the remaining vertex parallel to MN meets the circumcircle. Then the locus is the second intersection of the circumcircle with the line through P and the midpoint of segment MN.
Techniques
Triangle centers: centroid, incenter, circumcenter, orthocenter, Euler line, nine-point circleConstructions and lociAngle chasing