This triangle is arbitrary so how do we determine the circumradius?

Geometry Level 5

In Δ A B C \Delta ABC , circle Γ 1 \Gamma_1 passes through A A and B B , and is tangent to B C BC . Circle Γ 2 \Gamma_2 passes through A A and C C , and is tangent to B C BC . Let the radii of these two circles be 12 and 15 units respectively. If the circumradius of Δ A B C \Delta ABC can be represented as a b + c a \sqrt{b}+c , where the surd has been simplified completely and a a , b b and c c are integers, find a + b + c a+b+c .


The answer is 11.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Abdelhamid Saadi
Dec 29, 2015

Let D and E be the centers of circles Γ 1 \Gamma_1 and Γ 2 \Gamma_2 .

and F be the center of circumscribed circle of Δ A B C \Delta ABC .

We can see that triangles Δ A F D \Delta AFD and Δ A E F \Delta AEF are similar.

then: A D A F = A F A E \frac {AD}{AF} = \frac {AF}{AE} so that R 2 = A F 2 = A D × A E = 12 × 15 = 180 R^2 = AF^2 = AD \times AE = 12 \times 15 =180

Michael Ng
Dec 26, 2015

Freehand Diagrams for the win!

Split the isosceles triangles as shown in the diagram and we find that the angles are 90 B 90-B and 90 C 90-C . Therefore b = 2 × 15 sin C b=2\times 15\sin C and c = 2 × 12 sin B c=2\times 12 \sin B . Multiply the equations together and rearrange giving: b 2 sin B × c 2 sin C = 180 \frac{b}{2\sin B}\times \frac{c}{2\sin C}= 180

But b 2 sin B = R \frac{b}{2\sin B}=R and c 2 sin C = R \frac{c}{2\sin C}=R so R 2 = 180 R^2=180 , R = 6 5 R=6\sqrt{5} and therefore the answer is 11 \boxed{11} .

A general result is that R 2 = p q R^{2} = pq , where R R is circumradius of Δ A B C \Delta ABC , and p , q p, q are radii of tangential circles drawn as per the given conditions.

Venkata Karthik Bandaru - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

Can you prove this result and give it as a second solution?

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

Fine bro !

Venkata Karthik Bandaru - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

@Venkata Karthik Bandaru Thanks! Only reason I asked is because I preferred a Euclidean solution. :)

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

@Sharky Kesa I used trig in the generalisation.

Venkata Karthik Bandaru - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

@Venkata Karthik Bandaru Oh. Can you think of one without using trig?

Sharky Kesa - 5 years, 5 months ago

Log in to reply

@Sharky Kesa Maybe yes, but I think trig is simpler.

Venkata Karthik Bandaru - 5 years, 5 months ago

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...