In triangle AB^C, right-angled at C^, draw the bisectors of the interior angles A^ and B^. They meet at a point I. Draw through I the parallel to side BC, meeting side AC at K and the hypotenuse AB at R. Prove that IK:IR=AC:AB.
Solution
I is the incenter (intersection of the bisectors). Put the right-angle vertex at the origin with the legs on the axes:
C(0;0),A(q;0)(q=AC),B(0;p)(p=BC).
The incenter of a right triangle with legs on the axes has coordinates I(r;r), where r=2p+q−h is the inradius and h=AB=p2+q2.
The parallel to BC (the y-axis) through I is the vertical line x=r; it meets AC (x-axis) at K(r;0) and the hypotenuse at R(r;yR). So
IK=r,IR=yR−r.
The hypotenuse AB: qx+py=1⇒yR=p(1−qr), whence
IR=qpq−r(p+q).
Now, using r=2p+q−h:
pq−r(p+q)=2−h2+(p+q)h=2h(p+q−h)=hr.
Hence IR=qhr and
IRIK=hr/qr=hq=ABAC.IK:IR=AC:AB.■