Some Circles Associated With The Feuerbach Points

Forum Geometricorum
Volume 14 (2014) 403–408.

FORUM GEOM
ISSN 1534-1178
Some Circles Associated with the Feuerbach Points
Nguyen Thanh Dung
Abstract. Consider a triangle with its nine-point circle tangent to the incircle
and excircles at the Feuerbach point. We show that the four circles each through
the circumcenter, nine-point, and Feuerbach point contain the nine-point center
of the intouch triangle or the corresponding extouch triangle. Furthermore, the
lines joining these Feuerbach points to the corresponding nine-point centers are
concurrent on the nine-point circle of the given triangle.
1. Four coaxial circles through the Feuerbach points

The starting point of this note is the famous Feuerbach theorem, that for a given
triangle, the nine-point circle is tangent internally to the incircle and externally to
each of the excircles. Given triangle ABC, with incenter I, excenters Ia , Ib , Ic ,
and nine-point N , the points of tangency of the nine-point circle with these circles
are the Feuerbach points Fe , Fa , Fb , Fc on the lines N I, N Ia , N Ib , N Ic with
ratios of division
R
N Fe : Fe I = : −r,
2
R R R
N Fa : Fa Ia = : ra , N Fb : Fb Ib = : rb , N Fc : Fc Ic = : rc ,
2 2 2
where R, r, ra , rb , rc are the circumradius, inradius, and exradii.
Proposition 1. Let O be the circumcenter of triangle ABC.
(a) OI 2 = R(R − 2r).
(b) OIa2 = R(R + 2ra ).
(c) IIa2 = 4R(ra − r).
(d) The excentral triangle Ia Ib Ic has circumcenter I at the reflection of I in O,
and circumradius 2R.
For (a-c), see [1, Theorems 152-154]. For (d), see [4, §4.6.1].
Consider the circle through O, N , and Fe . Since I is an interior point of the
segment N Fe , it is an interior point of the circle. Our first result relates the endpoint
of the chord through O and I with the intouch triangle, whose vertices are the
points of tangency of the incircle with the sidelines.
Theorem 2. The line OI intersects the circle ON Fe again at the nine-point center
of the intouch triangle.
Publication Date: December 11, 2014. Communicating Editor: Paul Yiu.
404 T. D. Nguyen
A
Fe
I
Ni
O I
N
B C
Figure 1
Proof. Let Ni be the second intersection of the line OI with the circle ON Fe . By
the intersecting chords theorem, OI · INi = N I · IFe . Therefore,
R
INi N I · IFe − r r r
= 2
= 2 = .
OI OI R(R − 2r) 2R
Note that the intouch triangle is homothetic to the excentral triangle. Since the
excentral triangle has circumcenter I and nine-point center O, its Euler line is the
line OI. Since the intouch triangle has circumcenter I, its Euler line is also the line
OI. From
INi INi r

= = ,
IO OI 2R
the homothetic ratio of the intouch and excentral triangles, we conclude that Ni is
nine-point center of the intouch triangle.
Ia
O
N
B C
Fa Na
Ia
Figure 2.
Analogous results hold if we replace the Feuerbach point Fe by the other Feuer-
bach points, say, Fa . if the circle through O, N , Fa intersects the line OIa at
Na , then IIaaNOa = 2R
ra
. Now, triangle IIb Ic is homothetic to the A-extouch tri-
angle formed by the points of tangency of the A-excircle with the sidelines of
Some circles associated with the Feuerbach points 405
r
triangle ABC, with homothetic ratio − 2R , since the circumradius of IIb Ic is also
2R. In fact, the circumcenter of IIb Ic is the reflection of Ia in O. It follows that
I a Na I a Na r
Ia O = − OIa = − 2R , and Na is the nine-point center of the A-extouch triangle
(see Figure 2).
Theorem 3. The points O, N , Fa and Na are concyclic; so are O, N , Fb , Nb , and
O, N , Fc , Nc .
2. Concurrency of four lines on the nine-point circle

In preparation for the proof of our next main result (Theorem 7 below), we es-
tablish an interesting relation between the centers O, N , I, Ia given in Proposition
5. The reformulation as Proposition 6 in terms of directed angles ([2, §§16-19])
makes the proof of Theorem 7 independent of the relative position of O and N
with respect to the bisector of angle A.
Lemma 4. Let N be the nine-point center of triangle ABC.
(a) If A > 60◦ , then N and O lie on the same side of the bisector of angle A.
(b) If A = 60◦ , then N lies on the bisector of angle A.
(c) If A < 60◦ , then N and O lie on opposite sides of the bisector of angle A.
H A
N
B C
H
X O O
B C
M M
Figure 3A Figure 3B
Proof. First consider the case when A is an obtuse angle (see Figure 3A). Construct
the perpendicular from O to BC, to intersect the circumcircle at M on the opposite
side of A. The line AM is clearly the bisector of angle A. If X is the orthogonal
projection of A on BC, then the orthocenter H and X are on opposite sides of
A. It follows that O and H, and their midpoint N , all are on the same side of the
bisector AM .
The same conclusion holds if A = 90◦ , since the orthocenter H coincides with
A.
Now we assume A an acute angle (see Figure 3B). It is known that AH =
2R cos A, and that the bisector of angle A also bisects the angle OAH. It divides
406 T. D. Nguyen
OH in the ratio R : 2R cos A = 1 : 2 cos A. Therefore, O and N are on the same

side of the bisector if and only if 2 cos A < 1, i.e., A > 60◦ .
If A = 60◦ , then AH = AO, and N lies on the bisector. This completes the
proof of the theorem.
Proposition 5. (a) The angle IOIa is acute, right, or obtuse according as A is less
greater than 60◦ .
than, equal to, or
2∠IOIa , if A ≤ 60◦ ,
(b) ∠IN Ia = .
360◦ − 2∠IOIa , if A > 60◦ .
Proof. (a) Applying the law of cosines to triangle IOIa , and using the expressions
for the lengths given in Proposition 2, we have
OI 2 + OIa2 − IIa2
cos IOIa =
2 · OI · OIa
R(R − 2r) + R(R + 2ra ) − 4R(ra − r)
=
2 · OI · OIa
R(R − ra + r)
= . (1)
OI · OIa
The angle IOIa is acute, right, or obtuse according as ra − r is less than, equal
to or greater than R. Since raR−r = 4 sin2 A2 , these are the cases according as A is
less than, equal to, greater than 60◦ .
(b) From (1), we have
cos 2 · IOIa = 2 cos2 IOIa − 1
(OI 2 + OIa2 − IIa2 )2 − 2 · OI 2 · OIa2
=
2 · OI 2 · OIa2
(2R(R − ra + r))2 − 2R(R − 2r) · R(R + 2ra )
=
2R(R − 2r) · R(R + 2ra )
R2 − 6R(ra − r) + 2(ra2 + r2 )
= . (2)
(R − 2r)(R + 2ra )
On the other hand,
N I 2 + N Ia2 − IIa2
cos IN Ia =
2N I · N Ia
R 2 R 2
2 −r + 2 + ra − 4R(ra − a)
=
2 R2 − r R2 + ra
R2 − 6R(ra − r) + 2(ra2 + r2 )
= . (3)
(R − 2r)(R + 2ra )
Comparison of (2) and (3) shows that cos IN Ia = cos 2 · IOIa . Therefore,
∠IN Ia = 2∠IOIa or 360◦ − 2∠IOIa . Taking (a) into account, we have (b).
Remark. When A = 60◦ , ∠IOIa = 90◦ , and ∠IN Ia = 180◦ (see Lemma 4(b)).
In terms of directed angles, we reformulate Proposition 5 below.
Some circles associated with the Feuerbach points 407
Proposition 6. (N I, N Ia ) = −2(OI, OIa ).

Theorem 7. The four lines Fe Ni , Fa Na , Fb Nb , Fc Nc are concurrent at a point on
the nine-point circle.
Proof. It is enough to prove this for the lines Fe Ni and Fa Na (see Figure 4). Let
P be the intersection of the line Fe Ni with the nine-point circle. We show that
it also lies on the line Fa Na . For this, it is enough to verify (Fa N, Fa P ) =
(Fa N, Fa Na ).
Fe
O
I
Ni
N
B C
P Fa Na
Ia
Figure 4.
(Fa N, Fa P ) = (P Fa , P N ) triangle N Fa P isosceles

= (P Fa , P Fe ) + (P Fe , P N )
1
= (N Fa , N Fe ) + (P Fe , P N ) N = center of circle P Fe Fa
2
1
= (N Ia , N I) + (P Fe , P N )
2
= (OI, OIa ) + (P Fe , P N ) Proposition 6
= (OI, OIa ) + (N Fe , Ni Fe ) triangle N P Fe isosceles
= (OI, OIa ) + (N O, Ni O) O, N , Fe , Ni concyclic
= (OI, ONa ) + (ON, OI)
= (ON, ONa )
= (Fa N, Fa Na ) O, N , Fa , Na concyclic.
The same reasoning shows that P also lies on the lines Fb Nb and Fc Nc .
408 T. D. Nguyen
We summarize the main results in this note in Figure 5 below, and conclude with
an identification of the triangle centers Ni and P . According to the E NCYCLOPE -
DIA OF T RIANGLE CENTERS [3], the intouch triangle has orthocenter X(65). Its
nine-point center Ni , being the midpoint of IX(65), is X(942). This point lies
on the line through X(11) = Fe and X(113), which is on the nine-point circle,
Therefore P is X(113), which is also the midpoint of HX(110).
Ib
Fe
Ic Nc
Fb
Fc I
Ni O
N Nb
B
C
Fa Na
P
Ia
Figure 5.
References
[1] N. A. Court, College Geometry, Dover reprint, 2007.
[2] R. A. Johnson, Advanced Euclidean Geometry, Dover reprint, 2007.
[3] C. Kimberling, Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers, available at
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/encyclopedia/ETC.html.
[4] P. Yiu, Introduction to the Geometry of the Triangle, Florida Atlantic University Lecture Notes,
2001; with corrections, 2013, available at
http://math.fau.edu/Yiu/Geometry.html
Nguyen Thanh Dung: Chu Van An high school for Gifted students, 55 To Son street, Chi Lang
ward, Lang son province, Viet Nam
E-mail address: nguyenthanhdungcva@gmail.com

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Forum Geometricorum

Volume 14 (2014) 403–408.

Some Circles Associated with the Feuerbach Points

Nguyen Thanh Dung

1. Four coaxial circles through the Feuerbach points

2. Concurrency of four lines on the nine-point circle

OH in the ratio R : 2R cos A = 1 : 2 cos A. Therefore, O and N are on the same

Proposition 6. (N I, N Ia ) = −2(OI, OIa ).

(Fa N, Fa P ) = (P Fa , P N ) triangle N Fa P isosceles

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