Take three unit circles, each touching the other two. Construct three circles C1 , C2 and C3 , with radii r1 , r2 and r3 , respectively, as in the figure below. The circles that are tangent to all three unit circles are C1 and C3 , with C1 the smaller of these. The circle through the three points of tangency of the unit circles is C2 . Find the radii r1 , r2 and r3 , and show that r1 r3 = r2 2 .

Circles in a circle