Analyzing the Setup
Welcome, fellow traveler of the JEE journey. Today, we stand before the elegance of two circles kissing at a single point.
Imagine the point P(1,2), where two circles of radius r=5 meet. They share a common tangent, 4x+3y=10, which acts as a boundary at their point of contact.
To find the centers C1 and C2, we must look beyond the circles themselves and focus on the line that connects them: the normal line.
The Normal Line
The Spine of the Problem
In geometry, the radius of a circle is always perpendicular to the tangent at the point of contact. This means the centers of our two circles must lie on a line that passes through P(1,2) and is perpendicular to the common tangent.
First, let us find the slope of the tangent. By rearranging 4x+3y=10 into the slope-intercept form y=mx+c, we get:
The slope mt is −34. Since the normal is perpendicular to this tangent, its slope mn is the negative reciprocal:
This is the path our centers must follow.
The Parametric Voyage
Now, how do we find the coordinates of the centers? We know they are at a distance r=5 from the point P(1,2) along the normal line.
This is the perfect moment to use the parametric form of a line. If the slope of the line is tanθ=43, we can construct a right triangle with opposite side 3 and adjacent side 4, making the hypotenuse 5.
Thus, sinθ=53 and cosθ=54. The coordinates of the centers are given by (x1±rcosθ,y1±rsinθ).
Substituting our values, we get:
The Final Calculation
Let us calculate the first center, C1, by taking the positive sign: x=1+4=5 and y=2+3=5. So, C1=(5,5).
Now, for the second center, C2, we take the negative sign: x=1−4=−3 and y=2−3=−1. So, C2=(−3,−1).
We have found our parameters: α=5,β=5,γ=−3,δ=−1. The problem asks for ∣(α+β)(γ+δ)∣.
Calculating the sums, we find (α+β)=10 and (γ+δ)=−4. The product is:
Taking the absolute value, we arrive at our final, rock-solid answer: 40.