Geometry in the circle.?

Let PQRS a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle C. Let I be the middle of PR and J be the middle of QS.
Suppose the line QI intersects C at Q and Q' and RJ intersects C at R and R'.

Show that if SQ' is parallel to PR then PR' is parallel to QS.

This is a rewording of :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiuOkDzCBFUjyduNBYPYncDFDH1G;_ylv=3?qid=20121230040903AADCywA

2013-01-03T00:51:40Z

@ Detective. Thx for the pic!

2013-01-05T00:55:56Z

@ Sharmistha: P,Q,R are arbitrary and S is determined by the condition SQ' || PR. So in general PQR is not a right angle. If it is then S = Q' completes the rectangle and the question is trivial.

2013-01-05T03:25:54Z

@ AI P. Could not agree more with what you said but the connection to this q totally eludes me.

2013-01-05T12:34:12Z

@ Sharmistha: QQ' is a diameter only if PR is a diameter. In this case PQRS is a kite and P = R'. So the line PR' becomes the tangent at P which is indeed parallel to QS. But again, that's not the general case.

2013-01-06T01:21:44Z

@ Sharmistha: there is no way to dispense with the middles of the diagonals.
Besides your alternate statement involving angular bissectors appears to be false: indeed if QQ' is the angular bissector of angle Q, that simply means that Q' is the middle of the arc limited by P and R not containing Q. So the tangent at Q' is parallel to PR and this forces Q' = S. But in general P is not the middle of arc(QS) so that P and R' are distinct and PR' is not parallel to QS.

2013-01-06T01:34:37Z

@ AI P: pretty pic! PR' and QS appear to be at a slight angle... any idea where this comes from?

2013-01-06T02:51:25Z

@ Sharmistha: remember that PQR hence QQ' are totally arbitrary. Therefore what you say implies that any bissector goes through the center, hence is a diameter. Or am I misreading you?

2013-01-07T00:32:20Z

@ AI P "Let PQRS a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle C." So all vertices are on C.

2013-01-07T08:00:55Z

@ AI P Good luck with your pics, but what do you hope to find when they are not all the same circle?

2013-01-07T12:41:52Z

@ Sharmistha: I indicated that this question is a rewording. If you look at the original asker's questions, you'll see that they are challenging but not daunting. So I would not go for anything too complicated.

2013-01-07T23:41:07Z

@ AI P. Yes P,Q,R,S,Q' and R' are all on the same euclidean circle. P,Q,R are arbitrary and S,Q',R' are then determined using the assumptions.

2013-01-08T08:50:54Z

@ Sharmistha: "If the contention is correct that the "special" corner of the cyclic q when joined with the mid point of the line joining it's two adjacent corners (the other diagonal of the q) bisects the angle at the special corner" Just stop right here. This not at all the contention. Anyway at this stage there is only a definition which is that this line and QS are symmetric with respect to the angle bissector at Q, which is equivalent to saying that SQ' || PR.
In the initial problem, the angle bissector at B, is also the angle bissector between BI and BD.
The pics of AI P and Detective give ample evidence of the truth of the statement, so I see no need to reword anything, Making your own pic is all I can suggest... good luck!

2013-01-08T14:25:40Z

@ Zo Maar: Very good. You even correctly guessed that I was not crazy about brute force!

2013-01-08T23:41:00Z

@ AI P: I'll leave it open till expiration time minus one hour.

2013-01-09T01:19:28Z

@ Sharmistha: Yes your first hypothesis is correct. It follows from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inscribed_angle#Theorem
This theorem says that equal angles intersect arcs of the same length. So the bissector at Q intersect the circle at a point M which is on the mediatrix of PR. Similarly the arcs SM and MQ' have the same length, which implies that SQ' || PR. This is the fact which suggested the rewording of the original question.
As for your contestation, I suggest you try to find a flaw in Zo Maar's solution!

2013-01-09T02:31:16Z

@ Sharmistha: "arc SM and MQ' are of the same length but they are not on the same straight line."
Of course arcs are not on a line. " Hence it's not a reflection of point S on point Q' over the angular bissector." Right it's a reflection around the mediatrix of PR.
The original question talks of lines QS and QQ' symmetric with respect to the angular bissector at Q, but in my previous post I explained why it is equivalent to the present formulation.
Don't be afraid: my deduction is correct and we already have 1 proof and 2 pics which support the question as stated.

2013-01-10T01:28:54Z

@ Indica: Beautiful. I guess the most resilient answerer should be convinced!

Indica2013-01-09T09:13:05Z

Favorite Answer

Using Detectives Updated photo

From SQ’||PR and same segment theorem (SST), ∠Q’SP=∠RPS=∠PQI=∠SQR

Also from SST ∠QPI=∠QSR

∴ ΔPQI ∼ ΔSQR (AA) and so PQ/SQ = PI/SR

But SQ=2JS and PR=2PI hence PQ/JS = PR/SR

From SST ∠QPR=∠JSR

∴ ΔQPR ∼ ΔJSR (SAS) and so ∠QRP=∠JRS

But from SST, ∠QRP=∠QSP and ∠JRS=∠SPR’ and so PR’||QS

Grid2013-01-02T23:33:58Z

Hmm for some reason I feel it is not possible, I've tried drawing a quadrilateral in a circle many different ways but SQ' always seems to intersect PR. Can you tell me where I am going wrong?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50227327@N04/8340315948/in/photostream

--------
Nevermind, I retract my concern. I drew the wrong quadrilateral (thanks Falzoon for alerting me the mistake). PR is a diagonal not a side.

Here's an updated photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/50227327@N04/8341162692/in/photostream

Lots of congruent angles and similar triangles, but too many lines for me to make sense of it haha.

Random facts that may or may not help get the solution:
<P + <R = 180
<Q + <S = 180
<PSQ' = <RPS
<SPR' = <PSQ
All vertical angles in the figure are congruent

It should be sufficient to show PR' ll QS by showing <R'JS = <JR'P.

?2013-01-05T03:14:37Z

@gianlino. Read your comments. Let me ask you a very stupid question at this stage. Is Q'S really parallel to PR by the simple fact that QS and QQ' are symmetrical about the angular bisector at Q? Can it be proved geometrically? Universally for any convex cyclic quadrilateral?
Trust you can enlighten me on the truth of this hypothesis in the very first place.
Yes the angular bisector at Q is also the angular bisector between QS and QQ'. But that doesn't mean Q'S is II to PR! Q'S can be only parallel to PR only iff the angular bisector at Q is perpendicular to Q'S and it is precisely here you are losing the generality of the problem!
We are saying also in that case QQ' = QS or angle SPQ = angle Q'PQ which is simply absurd. I strongly contest there can be a solution to this problem and I have proved it why it can't be. The
only solution therefore is that the cyclic q is a square.
In the second part ZM 's deduction of the two chord equations leave some doubts. These are the
basics with which it is shown that RR' and QQ' are equal which goes to show the equality of angles
and proving the parallelity. But how the basic equations (1) and (2) are arrived is not clear.Also the
equations don't seem to be correctly deduced from chord length intersection principles in a cyclic
quadrilateral.Further where is the equation from parallelity between PR and SQ'? I think two more
equations will be required to prove the equality if at all it can be. Solution seems to have been
oversimplified and incorrect.
@ gianlino have once again gone through the entire thing. SQ ' II PR is only an approximation as
also PR' II SQ which is needed to be proved. The pics you have got from people who haven't
proved it and the proof from person with no pic. Moreover the proof furnished doesnt seem to be correct.It is impossible to prove this identity without
triangles PQI and Q'IR being identical. That is QI=Q'I or QP= Q'R. Whatever equations you write or try to prove from angles or triangles or chords intersections would not help. I think in some applications of Physics you get to prove such a thing with approximation within the limits of instrumental errors. Thanks to you again for spending time over this problem. Good Luck..

Scythian19502013-01-02T23:57:32Z

This one does sound right, a good rewording of that posted question. I'll get back to this one later.

?2013-01-07T23:30:40Z

What did the little acorn say when he grew up?
Geometry