Note on rectangles with vertices on prescribed circles (Q951275): Difference between revisions

Given three positive real numbers \(x\), \(y\), \(z\), one considers the family \(\Omega\) of rectangles \(ABCD\) having an interior point \(P\) with the property that \(PA=x\), \(PB=y\), \(PC=z\). We are asked in [Zahlreich Problems Group, Problem 11057, Am. Math. Mon. 111, 64 (2004); solution: ibid. 113, 82--83 (2006)] to find the maximum area that a rectangle in \(\Omega\) can have. The paper under review solves this problem and shows that the maximum and minimum areas are \(xz+yt\) and \(| xz-yt| \), where \(t = \sqrt{x^2+z^2-y^2}\). Although the proof is considerably shorter than the one given in [\textit{E. J. Ionascu} and \textit{P. Stanica}, Elem. Math. 62, No. 1, 30--39 (2007; Zbl 1120.51010)], the authors do not mention what advantages their proof has over the extremely short proof given in [Am. Math. Mon. 113, 82--83 (2006)].