[Math] The sides of an isosceles triangle from the circumradius and inradius

euclidean-geometrygeometrytriangles

I need to solve the following problem only by using Pythagoras Theorem and congruent triangles.
Find the sides of an isosceles triangle ABC with circumradius R=25 and inradius r=12.

Best Answer

From the figure

incircle

one imediately derives the equations $${\rho\over h}={a\over 2R}\ ,\qquad{\rm i.e.,}\qquad a h=600\ ,$$ $$h+\rho+d=2R\ ,\qquad{\rm i.e.,}\qquad h+d=38\ ,$$ $$2R d=a^2 \ ,\qquad{\rm i.e.,}\qquad 50d = a^2\ .$$ Eliminating $h$ and $d$ one obtains a cubic equation for $a$, two of whose solutions are natural numbers. Given $a$ and $d$ one computes $s=\sqrt{4R^2-a^2}$, and the base $b$ of the triangle is $b=2\sqrt{a^2-d^2}$.