The Squinting Eyes Theorem: What Is It?
A Mathematical Droodle

Explanation

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Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny

The applet suggests a statement reminiscent of the Eyeball theorem. To distinguish between the two, I'll call the current one

The Squinting Eyes Theorem

Let there be two circles C(A, RA) and C(B, RB), one with center A and radius RA, the other with center B and radius RB. Let P and Q be the farthest points of the two circles, as on the diagram below. Draw the tangents from P to C(B, RB) and from Q to C(A, RA). Whenever the construction is possible, it leads to two "isosceles triangles" with one side a circular arc. The fact is that the "incircles" of the two triangles are always equal, i.e., have the same radius.

Proof

Let PT be tangent to C(B, RB), so that PT is perpendicular to BT. Let C(R, RS) be one of the two circles in question, and assume RS is also perpendicular to PT. From the similarity of triangles PTB and PSR,

PB/BT = PR/RS,

from where

(RA + AB)/RB = (2·RA - RS)/RS.

Solving this for RS gives

RS = 2·RA·RB/(RA + RB + AB).

In the same manner we could find the radius of the second "incircle". However, there is no need to. The formula for RS is symmetric in A and B, which means that the result would not change if we swapped A and B. Because of the symmetry, we can claim that the radius of the second circle is defined by exactly same formula, i.e. the two radii are indeed equal.

This Sangaku problem has been written on a tablet in 1842 in the Aichi prefecture [Temple Geometry, p. 82].

References

  1. H. Fukagawa, D. Pedoe, Japanese Temple Geometry Problems, The Charles Babbage Research Center, Winnipeg, 1989

    Write to:

    Charles Babbage Research Center
    P.O. Box 272, St. Norbert Postal Station
    Winnipeg, MB
    Canada R3V 1L6

  2. H. Fukagawa, A. Rothman, Sacred Geometry: Japanese Temple Geometry, Princeton University Press, 2008, p. 102
  3. P. Yiu, Geometric Art Design

Sangaku

  1. Sangaku: Reflections on the Phenomenon
  2. Critique of My View and a Response
  3. 1 + 27 = 12 + 16 Sangaku
  4. 3-4-5 Triangle by a Kid
  5. 7 = 2 + 5 Sangaku
  6. A 49th Degree Challenge
  7. A Geometric Mean Sangaku
  8. A Hard but Important Sangaku
  9. A Restored Sangaku Problem
  10. A Sangaku: Two Unrelated Circles
  11. A Sangaku by a Teen
  12. A Sangaku Follow-Up on an Archimedes' Lemma
  13. A Sangaku with an Egyptian Attachment
  14. A Sangaku with Many Circles and Some
  15. A Sushi Morsel
  16. An Old Japanese Theorem
  17. Archimedes Twins in the Edo Period
  18. Arithmetic Mean Sangaku
  19. Bottema Shatters Japan's Seclusion
  20. Chain of Circles on a Chord
  21. Circles and Semicircles in Rectangle
  22. Circles in a Circular Segment
  23. Circles Lined on the Legs of a Right Triangle
  24. Equal Incircles Theorem
  25. Equilateral Triangle, Straight Line and Tangent Circles
  26. Equilateral Triangles and Incircles in a Square
  27. Five Incircles in a Square
  28. Four Hinged Squares
  29. Four Incircles in Equilateral Triangle
  30. Gion Shrine Problem
  31. Harmonic Mean Sangaku
  32. Heron's Problem
  33. In the Wasan Spirit
  34. Incenters in Cyclic Quadrilateral
  35. Japanese Art and Mathematics
  36. Malfatti's Problem
  37. Maximal Properties of the Pythagorean Relation
  38. Neuberg Sangaku
  39. Out of Pentagon Sangaku
  40. Peacock Tail Sangaku
  41. Pentagon Proportions Sangaku
  42. Proportions in Square
  43. Pythagoras and Vecten Break Japan's Isolation
  44. Radius of a Circle by Paper Folding
  45. Review of Sacred Mathematics
  46. Sangaku à la V. Thebault
  47. Sangaku and The Egyptian Triangle
  48. Sangaku in a Square
  49. Sangaku Iterations, Is it Wasan?
  50. Sangaku with 8 Circles
  51. Sangaku with Angle between a Tangent and a Chord
  52. Sangaku with Quadratic Optimization
  53. Sangaku with Three Mixtilinear Circles
  54. Sangaku with Versines
  55. Sangakus with a Mixtilinear Circle
  56. Sequences of Touching Circles
  57. Square and Circle in a Gothic Cupola
  58. Steiner's Sangaku
  59. Tangent Circles and an Isosceles Triangle
  60. The Squinting Eyes Theorem
  61. Three Incircles In a Right Triangle
  62. Three Squares and Two Ellipses
  63. Three Tangent Circles Sangaku
  64. Triangles, Squares and Areas from Temple Geometry
  65. Two Arbelos, Two Chains
  66. Two Circles in an Angle
  67. Two Sangaku with Equal Incircles
  68. Another Sangaku in Square
  69. Sangaku via Peru
  70. FJG Capitan's Sangaku

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  • Eye-to-Eye Theorem I
  • Eye-to-Eye Theorem II
  • Eyeballing a ball
  • Praying Eyes Theorem
  • Focus on the Eyeball Theorem
  • Eyeball Theorem Rectified
  • Bespectacled Eyeballs Extension
  • Shedding Light on the Ball for Eyeballing
  • Eyeballs Projected
  • Archimedean Siblings out of Wedlock, i.e., Arbelos
  • Rectified, Halved, Sheared, Eyeballs Still Surprise

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    Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny

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