Geometry Worksheet 3 – Proofs

All SMC, BMO and Mentoring problems are © UKMT (www.ukmt.org.uk)

1. AB and AC are chords of a circle, and AD is a line that bisects angle ∠ BAC , where D is a
point on the circumference of the circle. Prove that BD=CD . (Hint: perhaps draw the tangent
at point D )

2. [Source: UKMT Mentoring] Let ABCD be a square. Let M be the midpoint of AB and K the
point on AD such that ∠ KMC is a right angle. Prove that the sides of triangle KDC are in the
ratio 3 :4 : 5 (Hint: there might be some similar triangles in there!).

3. [Source: UKMT Mentoring] A square ABCD of length 1 is inscribed inside a circle. A point P is
on the arc CD . Use Ptolemy’s Theorem to show that PA × ( PA+ PC )=PB× ( PB + PD ) .

4. [Source: UKMT Mentoring] Circle γ 1 lies inside circle γ 2 and touches it at A . From a point P
(distinct from A ) on γ 2, chords PQ and PR of γ 2 are drawn touching γ 1 at X and Y respectively.
Show that ∠ QAR=2 ∠ XAY .

5. [Source: BMO Round 1] In the cyclic quadrilateral ABCD, the diagonal AC bisects the angle
DAB . The side AD is extended beyond D to a point E . Show that CE=CA if and only if
DE= AB
[Note: ‘if and only if’ means you have to proof both ways, i.e. that if CE=CA then DE= AB
and if DE= AB then CE=CA ]

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 Geometry Worksheet 3 - ANSWERS

1. Let ∠ BAC=∠CAD=a . Suppose we draw the tangent at point D . Then by the Alternate
Segment Theorem, the angle between the tangent and each of the chords BD and CD is a . Since
these angles are the same, by an argument of symmetry, it must be that BD=CD .

2. We have the following diagram on the right. Without loss of generality, let the
side length of the square be 2.
If ∠ MCB=a, then ∠ CMB=90° −a and so ∠ AMK=a . Thus triangles
AKM and MBC are similar. This allows us to determine that MC=2 KM .
Using Pythagoras, BC 2 + M B2=M C2 , so MC= √ 5. And since MC=2 KM ,

5 5
KM = √ . We can again use Pythagoras on triangle KMC to find that KC = .
2 2
3
Finally using Pythagoras in triangle KDC , KC = . The lengths of KDC are
2
3 4 5
, , which are in the ratio 3 :4 : 5.
2 2 2

3. We know thatAC=BD= √ 2. Then applying Ptolemy’s Theorem to cyclic quadrilateral ABCP, we

have √ 2 PB=( 1× PA )+ ( 1× PC )=PA+ PC . Similarly using quadrilateral ABPD, we have
√ 2 PA =PB + PD. Dividing one equation by the other and then cross-multiplying, we’re done.

4. Let ∠ XAY =a. Then by the Alternate Segment Theorem, ∠ PXY =∠ PYX=a. Thus
∠ PXY =180−2 a (internal angles of a triangle). But PQAR is a cyclic quadrilateral, so
∠ QAR=180− (180−2 a )=2 a . Thus ∠ QAR=2 ∠ XAY .

5. [Note that, like Q2 and Q4, I haven’t seen the ‘model solution’ for this. The model solutions
may have a more elegant way of approaching this question, although in some ways I think
it’s more beneficial for you to see my ‘internal dialogue’ as I solved this question in a fairly
methodical away, rather than some elegant trick for which your reaction might be ‘I would
have never thought of doing that.’]

I started off by putting the information

given into a diagram:

My immediate reaction was that I had

two chords on the same tangent, so
could apply the Alternate Segment
Theorem twice. This gives
∠ DCE=∠ BCX =a . Since these two
angles are the same, then by
symmetry, it must be the case that

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 CD=BC . I let ∠ DCA=b , because we’d then have another chord in contact with the
tangent (i.e. CA ) and could apply the Alternate Segment Theorem again. Thus
∠ ABC=a+ b. We also find that ∠ CDE=a+b because it’s the external angle of triangle
ACD. All this information I gleaned is displayed below:

This already looks quite promising, because there’s the distinct whiff of similar and
congruent triangles. I can see that ACE and ADE are similar (the tell-tale sign is one
triangle embedded within another with ∠ CAD=∠ DCE), which I’m hoping will help.

We now have two proofs required:

a. Forwards proof: Show that if CE=CA then DE= AB .

If CE=CA then CEA is an isosceles triangle and ∠ DEC=a .We can see that triangles
DEC and ABC are not only similar but congruent (I looked at these triangles given that
they involve the sides we want to prove something about), because CE=CA and DC=BC
and ∠ BAC=∠ DEC and ∠ ABC=∠ EDC . Thus we find that DE= AB .

b. Backwards proof: Show that if DE= AB then CE=CA .

DE CE
Triangles ACE and DEC are similar, so = . If we can show that DE=DC , then
DC AC
DE CE
=1= , and thus we’d have shown CE=CA as required. We’d have DE=DC if
DC AC
∠ DEC=a , thus the proof boils down to showing this is the case. This is easy to show by
congruent triangles again. Since DE= AB and since ∠ EDC=∠ ABC , triangle ABC is
congruent to EDC . Thus ∠ DEC=∠ BAC=a.

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 DE CE
In hindsight, I could have also used the fact that = in the forward proof as well,
DC AC
since if CE= AC , then DE=DC . It would have then been easy using congruent triangles to
show that DE= AB .

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