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Circle's Limit (Posted on 2006-01-13) Difficulty: 2 of 5
Let C1 be a circle with center A and radius 1. Let m be a line tangent to circle C1 at point B. Let C2 be a circle with center B intersecting line m at points C and D and circle C1 at points E and F (points labeled such that C and E are on the same side of line AB). Let line CE intersect line AB at point G. As the radius of circle C2 shrinks to zero, does the length of BG approach a limit? If yes, then what is its value?

  Submitted by Bractals    
Rating: 3.0000 (3 votes)
Solution: (Hide)
Letting r be the radius of circle C2 and using a little algebra and
geometry we get

                 r2
  |BG| = -------------------
          2 - sqrt(4 - r2)

Therefore,

                             r2
  limit |BG| = limit ------------------- 
   r->0         r->0  2 - sqrt(4 - r2)

Plugging r=0 into this gives 0/0. So using the rule of L'Hospital gives

                          d(r2)/dr
  limit |BG| = limit -------------------------  
   r->0         r->0  d(2 - sqrt(4 - r2))/dr

             = limit 2*sqrt(4 - r2) 
                r->0

             = 4

A simpler approach is to multiply numerator and
denominator of

                 r2
  |BG| = -------------------
          2 - sqrt(4 - r2)

by 2 + sqrt(4 - r2) to get

  |BG| = 2 + sqrt(4 - r2)

Thus,
                      
  limit |BG| = 4
   r->0        

A different approach:

Let t = angle BCE = angle BEC and p = angle ABE = angle AEB. Then

  |BG| = r*tan(t)

     r = 2*cos(p)

     p = 2*t - 90

Combining these we get

  |BG| = 4*sin2(t)

As r->0, t->90. Therefore,

  limit |BG| = 4
  t->90 

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)
  Subject Author Date
SolutionNo anglesgoFish2006-01-14 18:34:08
re: solutionMindrod2006-01-13 17:30:21
SolutionsolutionCharlie2006-01-13 11:05:37
I think I proved it without calculus.Jer2006-01-13 10:29:30
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