Problema Solution
prove that the parallelogram circumscribing a circle is a rhombus
Answer provided by our tutors
Let ABCD be the parallelogram circumscribing the circle such that:
AB is tangent to the circle at P,
BC is tangent to the circle at Q,
CD is tangent to the circle at R and
DA is tangent to the circle at S.
AP = AS (they are tangent segments to the same circle from the same exterior point hence they are equal)
Similarly,
BP = BQ
CR = CQ and
DR = DS
Adding all of the above 4 equations we get:
AP + BP + CR + DR = AS + BQ + CQ + DS
AP + PB + CR + RD = BQ + QC + AS + SD
AB + CD = BC + AD
But AB = CD and BC = AD (Opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal)
If we plug AB = CD and BC = AD into AB + CD = BC + AD we get:
2AB = 2BC divide both sides by 2
AB = BC
Hence AB = BC = DC = DA
Thus all the 4 sides are equal hence the parallelogram ABCD is a rhombus.