More Circles and Lines

Geometry Level 4

The figure shows a square, A B C D ABCD , with four segments, L B , D J , D K , F B LB, DJ, DK, FB , drawn in such a way that three congruent circles are tangent to the segments and to the sides of the square. If the radius of the circles is 1, what is the length of a side of the square, s s ? Submit 1 0 4 s \lfloor 10^4 s \rfloor


The answer is 49513.

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3 solutions

Let the center of the bottom circle be O O ; O P OP , O Q OQ , and J R JR be perpendicular D A DA , A B AB , and L B LB respectively; and L B A = θ \angle LBA = \theta . Then we have:

A Q + Q B = A B P O + O Q cot θ 2 = s Let t = tan θ 2 1 + 1 t = s \begin{aligned} AQ + QB & = AB \\ PO + OQ \cdot \cot \frac \theta 2 & = s & \small \blue{\text{Let }t = \tan \frac \theta 2} \\ 1 + \frac 1t & = s \end{aligned}

Note that J R = 2 JR = 2 and

J B cos θ = J R ( B C J C ) cos θ = 2 ( s s tan θ ) cos θ = 2 s ( cos θ sin θ ) = 2 ( 1 + 1 t ) ( 1 t 2 2 t 1 + t 2 ) = 2 t 3 3 t 2 t + 1 = 2 t + 2 t 3 3 t 3 + 3 t 2 + 3 t 1 = 0 t = 8 27 + 8 9 3 + 8 27 8 9 3 1 3 0.253076587 s = 1 + 1 t 4.951373036 1 0 4 s = 49513 \begin{aligned} JB \cdot \cos \theta & = JR \\ (BC - JC) \cos \theta & = 2 \\ (s - s \tan \theta) \cos \theta & = 2 \\ s(\cos \theta - \sin \theta) & = 2 \\ \left(1+\frac 1t\right)\left(\frac {1-t^2 - 2t}{1+t^2}\right) & = 2 \\ -t^3 - 3t^2 - t + 1 & = 2t + 2t^3 \\ 3t^3 + 3t^2 + 3t - 1 & = 0 \\ \implies t & = \sqrt[3]{\frac 8{27}+\frac {\sqrt 8}9} + \sqrt[3]{\frac 8{27}-\frac {\sqrt 8}9} - \frac 13 \\ & \approx 0.253076587 \\ s & = 1 + \frac 1t \approx 4.951373036 \\ \implies \lfloor 10^4s \rfloor & = \boxed{49513} \end{aligned}


Reference: Cardano's method

You are settling t = tan(theta)

And substituting cot(theta/2) = 1/tan(theta/2) = t

Also it should be

(BC-JC)cos(theta) = 2

I think these are typos.

Vijay Simha - 5 months, 1 week ago

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Sorry, there are typos

Chew-Seong Cheong - 5 months, 1 week ago

I think you meant to say "Let t = θ 2 t = \frac{\theta}{2} ", yes?

I don't follow ( B C J B ) cos θ = 2 (BC -JB)\cos\theta=2 , typo?

Fletcher Mattox - 5 months, 1 week ago
Yuriy Kazakov
Jan 4, 2021

2 a = A B L 2a=\angle ABL

2 b = F B L 2b=\angle FBL

Wolframalpha solution

Ajit Athle
Jan 3, 2021

Let s be the side of the square. {2 s - x - √((s - x)^2 + s^2) = 2, (s - x)/s =√(x^2 - 4)/2, A = (10^4)(s)

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