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Estonia geometry
Problem
Acute triangle with has circumcircle . Let , , be the midpoints of sides , , correspondingly. Ray intersects at point () and the circumcircle of triangle at point (). On circle a point such that is chosen. The circumcircles of triangles and intersect at point on the shorter arc . Prove that circle and the circumcircle of triangle are tangent to each other.



Solution
Let be the center of and be the intersection point of lines and . Since is a trapezoid and a cyclic quadrilateral, it is an isosceles trapezoid and the points and are symmetric with respect Fig. 47 Fig. 48
to line (Fig. 47). We have , whereas and are on different sides of line , so point is on the circumcircle of triangle .
Since is the point of intersection of the perpendicular bisectors of triangle , we have (Fig. 48). Thus points and are on the circle with diameter and is on the circumcircle of triangle . Since triangle is acute, triangle is also acute (because ), hence its center is inside the triangle. So point is on the shorter arc . Thus the circumcircles of triangles and intersect at on the shorter arc , so .
Since is a diameter of the circumcircle of triangle and point is on the circle, and are perpendicular (Fig. 49). Therefore is a diameter of the circumcircle of triangle . Since is also a radius of circle , the line through perpendicular to line is tangent to both circles. Consequently circle and the circumcircle of triangle are tangent to each other.
Fig. 49
to line (Fig. 47). We have , whereas and are on different sides of line , so point is on the circumcircle of triangle .
Since is the point of intersection of the perpendicular bisectors of triangle , we have (Fig. 48). Thus points and are on the circle with diameter and is on the circumcircle of triangle . Since triangle is acute, triangle is also acute (because ), hence its center is inside the triangle. So point is on the shorter arc . Thus the circumcircles of triangles and intersect at on the shorter arc , so .
Since is a diameter of the circumcircle of triangle and point is on the circle, and are perpendicular (Fig. 49). Therefore is a diameter of the circumcircle of triangle . Since is also a radius of circle , the line through perpendicular to line is tangent to both circles. Consequently circle and the circumcircle of triangle are tangent to each other.
Fig. 49
Techniques
TangentsCyclic quadrilateralsTriangle centers: centroid, incenter, circumcenter, orthocenter, Euler line, nine-point circleAngle chasing