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EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY
Exercise 2.6.13. Show the converse to the preceding exercise, that is, that the
bisector of the angle made by two tangents from a point outside a circle to the circle
must pass through the center of the circle. [Hint: Try a proof by contradiction.]
Exercise 2.6.14. Let c and c
on ray
OP such that OP
=
r
2
OP
(or (OP
)(OP) = r
2
).
Note that if the circle had unit radius (r = 1), and if we considered O
as the origin in Cartesian coordinates with OP = x, then the inverse P
of
P can be interpreted as the usual multiplicative inverse; that is, we would
have OP
=
1
x
.
How do we construct the inverse point?
2.7. PROJECT 4 - CIRCLE INVERSION 101
Clear the screen and create a circle
c with center O and radius point A
and then create a point P inside c.
Create the ray
OP. At P construct
the perpendicular to
OP and nd
the intersection points (T and U)
of this perpendicular with the cir-
cle. Create segment OT and nd
the perpendicular to OT at T. Let
P
OP.
O
A
c
P
T
U
P
Measure the distances for seg-
ments OP and OP
and measure
the radius of the circle. Use the Cal-
culator to compute the product of
OP and OP
) = r
2
.
In the last part of this lab, we will use the notion of circle inversion to
construct a circle that meets a given circle at right angles.
Denition 2.36. Two circles c and c
through these
three points. The claim is that c
is orthogonal to c.
To see if this is the case, lets rst nd the center of c
. Let R be the
intersection of
TP with circle c
(Fig 2.32).
O
c
P
T
P
Q
c
S
1
S
2
R
O
Angle(O,S1,O) = 90.00 degrees
Angle(O,S2,O) = 90.00 degrees
Fig. 2.32
Then RPP
is a diameter of c
. The midpoint O
of RP
. Let S
1
and S
2
be the intersection points of c with
c
. Measure O
S
1
O and OS
2
O
are orthogonal to OS
1
, OS
2
, O
S
1
, and O
S
2
,
then the tangents to the circles at S
1
and S
2
must also be orthogonal and
the circles are orthogonal. Note that this evidence of the orthogonality of
c and c
to P and let c
:
Power of O = (OP)(OP
) = (OT)
2
But, (OP)(OP
) = r
2
(r being the radius of c) since P
is the inverse
point to P with respect to c. Thus, (OT)
2
= r
2
and T is on circle c, and
the circles are orthogonal at T.
To see that this circle is unique, suppose there was another circle c
be the intersection of
OP with c
. Let T
) =
(OT
)
2
. But, (OT
)
2
= r
2
and thus, P
to P, and
c
We conclude this section on orthogonal circles with two results that will
prove useful when we study non-Euclidean geometry in Chapter 7.
2.7. PROJECT 4 - CIRCLE INVERSION 105
Theorem 2.39. Let c and c
to P with respect to c.
Proof: First, suppose that c
(refer
to Fig. 2.35). We know from the proof of Theorem 2.30 that the center O
of c
. Since P and P
are inverses
with respect to c, then they both lie on the same side of ray
OP. Thus, O
is not between P and P
O > O
P. Thus, O is outside
of c
at points T
1
and
T
2
on c
, we have
(OT
1
)
2
= (OP)(OP
). But, (OP)(OP
) = r
2
by assumption, where r is the
radius of c. Therefore, (OT
1
)
2
= r
2
, and T
1
is on c. A similar argument
shows that T
2
is also on c. This implies that the two circles are orthogonal.
O
c
T
1
T
2
O
c
P
P
Fig. 2.35
Conversely, suppose that c and c
. Thus,
OP must intersect c
at another point P
. Using
the power of points, we have r
2
= (OT
1
)
2
= (OP)(OP
), and thus P
is the
inverse point to P with respect to circle c.
Corollary 2.40. Suppose circles c and c
intersect. Then c
is orthogonal
to c if and only if the circle c
. If
P is also on c, then it is xed by inversion through c. If P is not on c, then
106 CHAPTER 2. EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY
by the proof of Theorem 2.39, we know that P is also not the center O of c.
Thus, Theorem 2.39 implies that the inverse P
of P with respect to c is on
c
.
Conversely, suppose c