Picturing the Proof of the 4 Circles construction

Begin with the original diagram and add a few auxiliary lines.  Angle ADG is a right angle since it is an inscribed angle subtending a diameter.  Now GDA and DJA are similar right triangles.  By our construction, |AG| = 6 and |AD| = 1, and by similar triangles (or trigonometry) |AG| / |AD| = |AD| / |AJ|.  Thus,  |AJ| = 1 / |AG| = 1/6.  Since DJ is a perpendicular bisector of the chord AF, we have |AF| = 2 |AJ| and so  |AF| = 1/3.

Return to the 4 circles construction

Hit Counter          Villanova Home Page       Trisection Index of Pages  revised 26 Jan 2006