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.