
G6. A point $O$ and the circles $k_{1}$ with center $O$ and radius $3, k_{2}$ with center $O$ and radius 5, are given. Let $A$ be a point on $k_{1}$ and $B$ be a point on $k_{2}$. If $A B C$ is equilateral triangle, find the maximum value of the distance $O C$.


## Solution

It is easy to see that the points $O$ and $C$ must be in different semi-planes with respect to the line $A B$.

Let $O P B$ be an equilateral triangle ( $P$ and $C$ on the same side of $O B$ ). Since $\angle P B C$ $=60^{\circ}-\angle A B P$ and $\angle O B A=60^{\circ}-\angle A B P$, then $\angle P B C=\angle O B A$. Hence the triangles $A O B$ and $C P B$ are equal and $P C=O A$. From the triangle $O P C$ we have

$$
O C \leq O P+P C=O B+O A=8
$$

Hence, the maximum yalue of the distance $O C$ is 8 (when the point $P$ lies on $O C$ )

![](https://cdn.mathpix.com/cropped/2024_06_05_f0d06a71e884e5e6ec7bg-11.jpg?height=502&width=426&top_left_y=1033&top_left_x=335)

Figure 8

![](https://cdn.mathpix.com/cropped/2024_06_05_f0d06a71e884e5e6ec7bg-11.jpg?height=705&width=651&top_left_y=891&top_left_x=1041)

Figure 9

## Complement to the solution

Indeed there exists a triangle $\mathrm{OAB}$ with $\mathrm{OA}=3, \mathrm{OB}=5$ and $\mathrm{OC}=8$.

To construct such a triangle, let's first consider a point $M$ on the minor arc $\widehat{A_{0} B_{0}}$ of the circumference $\left(c_{0}\right)$ of an arbitrary equilateral triangle $A_{0} B_{0} C_{0}$. As $\mathrm{M}$ moves along $\widehat{\mathrm{A}_{0} \mathrm{~B}_{0}}$ from the midpoint position $\mathrm{M}_{0}$ towards $\mathrm{A}_{0}$, the ratio $\frac{\mathrm{MA}_{0}}{\mathrm{MB}_{0}}$ takes on all the decreasing values from 1 to 0 . Thus there exists a position of $\mathrm{M}$ such that $\frac{\mathrm{MA}_{0}}{\mathrm{MB}_{0}}=\frac{3}{5}$. Now a homothesy centered at the center of $\left(\mathrm{c}_{0}\right)$ can take $\mathrm{A}_{0}, \mathrm{~B}_{0}, \mathrm{C}_{0}, \mathrm{M}$ to the new positions $\mathrm{A}, \mathrm{B}, \mathrm{C}, \mathrm{O}$ so that $\mathrm{OA}=3$ and $\mathrm{OB}=5$. Then, since $\mathrm{C}$ lies on the minor arc $\overparen{\mathrm{AB}}$ of the circumference (c) of the equilateral triangle $\mathrm{ABC}$ we get $\mathrm{OC}=\mathrm{OA}+\mathrm{OB}=3+5=8$ as wanted, (figure 9).

