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Let chord $AB$ of a circle divide it into two arcs. Let $C$ and $D$ me the midpoints of the minor and major arc, respectively. The minor arc is rotated around point $A$ by some angle. Point $B$ is mapped to $B',$ and $C$ is mapped to $C'.$ Let $P$ be the midpoint of $BB'.$ Prove $\angle C'PD=90^\circ.$

So far, I noticed that because $CD$ is a diameter, $\angle CQD=90.$ Then I let $Q$ be the other intersection point of the rotated circle and the origianl circle. It also looks like $C',C, Q$ and $B',Q,B$ are collinear. I think this is due to rotational symmetry but I'm not sure why this is rigorously. If I am able to prove these two collinearities, then $\angle CQD = \angle C'QD=90^\circ.$ So then it suffices to prove that $C'PQD$ is cyclic. I've tried doing this by angle chasing, but to no avail. I keep getting stuck in a cycle of using the base angles of the isosceles triangles.

Alternatively, if we let $Q$ be the intersection of $(C'PD)$ and the original circle, if we can prove $Q$ is the radical center of the original circle, the rotated circle, and $(C'PD),$ then we are done by the same angle argument mentioned above.

May I have some help? Here is the diagram I am working with:

enter image description here

To make my question more clear, I am wondering how to prove $C’PQD$ is cyclic, not how to finish after knowing it is cyclic. The former is much more difficult than the latter.

mathisfun
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  • Which is the source of the problem?! It is an interesting one... – dan_fulea May 27 '23 at 04:00
  • Hi, thanks for the comment! The source of this problem is from a geometry course I am taking. I am unsure about the origin of the problem, but it was posed as a challenging problem for students to think about as homework. – mathisfun May 27 '23 at 05:10

2 Answers2

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Angle chasing should lead to a solution. Here is some detailed computation of angles, well it may depend on the picture. First of all some notations. Let $x,y,z$ be the angles of the given $\Delta ABC$ in $A,B,C$. Yes, $x=y$, but we use this later only. The given rotation is marked by a prime, so $A\to A'=A$, $B\to B'$, $C\to C'$. Let $u$ be the used rotation angle, so it is the angle between any two segments, one obtained from the other one by rotation: $$ u =\sphericalangle(AB,A'B') =\sphericalangle(AC,A'C') =\sphericalangle(BC,B'C')\ . $$

abc

To write formulas in one breath, let $S$ be the the intersection $S=BC\cap B'C'$. We define $Q$ as the intersection $BB'\cap CC'$. Then: $$ \begin{aligned} \widehat{B'QC} &= \widehat{QBC}+\widehat{QCB} = \widehat{B'BS}+\widehat{SCC'} \\ &= (180^\circ -\widehat{B'SB}+\widehat{SB'B}) + (180^\circ -\widehat{C'SC}+\widehat{SC'C}) \\ &= 180^\circ -\widehat{SB'B}-\widehat{SC'C} \\ &= 180^\circ -\left(y+\left(90^\circ-\frac u2\right)\right) -\left(z-\left(90^\circ-\frac u2\right)\right) = 180^\circ-y-z \\ &=x=\widehat{CAB}=\widehat{B'AC'}\ . \end{aligned} $$ In particular, $CQBA$ is cyclic, and $AC'B'Q$ cyclic, so $Q$ is on the circles $\odot(ABC)$ and $\odot(A'B'C')$. So far $x,y$ are not constrained to equality.


In the second part we need $x=y$, and it is simplest to use complex numbers and compute. We place the origin $O$ in $O=A$, and let the $Ox$ axis to be the line $AB$. The lengths of the sides in $\Delta ABC$ are by the sine theorem proportional to $AC:BC:AB=\sin x:\sin x:\sin 2x$, so we are placing $B$ in $\sin 2x\in\Bbb C$. Then we can compute all affixes, but let us do so only for the needed points. Since $v:=u/2$ will appear, we try to write all formulas by using $v$ instead of $u$. $$ \begin{aligned} B &= \sin 2x\ ,\\ B' &= \sin 2 x\cdot e^{i\; 2v}\ ,\\ P &=\frac 12(B+B')=\sin 2x\cos v\cdot e^{i\; v}\ ,\\ C &= \sin x\cdot e^{ix}\ ,\\ C' &= \sin x\cdot e^{i(x+2v)}\ ,\\ D &= |AD|\cdot e^{i(x-\pi/2)}=-i\cos x\cdot e^{i\;x} \\[3mm] \frac{C'P}{DP} &= \frac {C'-P} {D-P} \\ &= \frac {\phantom{(-i)}\sin x\cdot e^{i\; v}\cdot ( e^{i(x+v)} - 2\cos x\cos v)} {(-i)\cos x\cdot e^{i\; v}\cdot ( e^{i\; (x-v)} - 2i\sin x \cos v)} \\ &= \frac {\phantom{(-i)}\sin x\cdot e^{i\; v}\cdot ( -\cos(x-v) + i\sin (x+v) } {(-i)\cos x\cdot e^{i\; v}\cdot ( \cos(x-v) -i\sin(x+v) } \\ &=-i\tan x\ . % \end{aligned} $$ So the point $C'$ is obtained from $D$ by a rotation of angle $-\pi/2$ around $P$, composed with a $\tan x$-rescaling. (This is what we have expected, since $C'PQD$ cyclic is equivalent to $x=\widehat {PQC'}=\widehat{PDC'}$.)

$\square$


Note: Usually, in similar situations, the algebra involving complex numbers has a point / bridge of cancellation, that suggests which geometric construction has the "same bridge". In this case, the algebra is straightforward. But the geometry is not so simple. For instance, the angle $x+v=\widehat{C'AB'}+\widehat{B'AP}=\widehat{C'ABP}$ is an angle in the interesting triangle $PAC'$. It can be used to compute $PC'$ (squared) using Pythagoras, thus avoiding the "bad" information on the other two angles. But this computation is more or less contained in the above. I have an argument obtained by "reversing the order", constructing $C'$ so that an angle $x$ in $Q$ is ensured, and showing that it is "our point", but this has also esthetic impediments.

dan_fulea
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  • Thanks for such an involved solution! Are there any resources where I can learn more about geometry with complex numbers? – mathisfun May 27 '23 at 05:11
  • Also, for the first part of your solution, I think it can be simplified by observing there is a spiral similarity centered at $A$ mapping $BB'$ to $CC',$ so $Q=BC \cap B'C'$ lies on both circles. – mathisfun May 27 '23 at 05:17
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To prove C', C, Q are collinear In the circumcircle of AC'BQ, we have

arc BC'=arc AC(C is the midpoints of the minor arc AB in (O))

beside, we have

  • $\angle BQC'$ is an inscribed angle that subtends the arc BC'

  • $\angle AQC'$ is an inscribed angle that subtends the arc AC'

=> QC' is the bisector of AQB (1)

If you have proven that C′PQD is cyclic, so you have:

  • $\angle C'QD$ is an inscribed angle that subtends the arc C'D
  • $\angle C'PD$ is an inscribed angle that subtends the arc C'D

=> $\angle C'QD= \angle C'PD$ and you have proven $\angle C'QD=90^\circ.$ above

=>$\angle$ C'PD=90

I used the properties of Inscribed Angle Theorem hope that help

Alvm
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