Does the Triangle's Centroid Lie Inside the Circle with Diameter OA?

  • MHB
  • Thread starter anemone
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    2017
In summary, a triangle centroid is the point where the three medians of a triangle intersect, while a triangle circumcenter is the point where the three perpendicular bisectors of a triangle intersect. These two points are related as they are both points of concurrency and have properties that can be used to solve problems involving triangles. In real-world applications, the relationship between the centroid and circumcenter can be used in fields such as engineering, architecture, and physics to determine the center of gravity and optimal location for structures.
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anemone
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Here is this week's POTW:

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Let $ABC$ be a triangle with centroid $G$ and circumcenter $O$. Prove that if $BC$ is its largest side, then $G$ lies in the interior of the circle with diameter $OA$.

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Remember to read the http://www.mathhelpboards.com/showthread.php?772-Problem-of-the-Week-%28POTW%29-Procedure-and-Guidelines to find out how to http://www.mathhelpboards.com/forms.php?do=form&fid=2!
 
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  • #2
No one answered last week's problem.(Sadface)

You can find the suggested solution as follows:
View attachment 6469
Let $BC=a,\,CA=b,\,AB=c$, $M$ be the midpoint of $BC$ and $D$ be the second intersection point between $AM$ and the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$.

By the Power of A Point theorem, we have $AM\cdot MD=BM \cdot MC$. Thus we get

$\begin{align*}AD&=AM+MD\\&=m_a+\dfrac{\dfrac{a}{2}\cdot \dfrac{a}{2}}{m_a}\\&=\dfrac{4m_a^2+a^2}{4m_a}\\&=\dfrac{b^2+c^2}{2m_a}\end{align*}$

Now, taking into consideration that the circle of diameter $OA$ is the locus of midpoints of chords of $O$ that pass through $A$, we have $G$ lies in the interior of the circle of diameter $OA$ if and only if $AG<\dfrac{AD}{2}$, or equivalently

$\dfrac{2}{3}m_a<\dfrac{1}{2}\left(\dfrac{b^2+c^2}{2m_a}\right)$

$8m_a^2<3(b^2+c^2)$

$b^2+c^2<2a^2$

Since $BC$ is the greatest side of triangle $ABC$, the last inequality holds so we are done.
 

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Related to Does the Triangle's Centroid Lie Inside the Circle with Diameter OA?

1. What is a triangle centroid?

A triangle centroid is the point where the three medians of a triangle intersect. A median is a line segment that connects a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.

2. What is a triangle circumcenter?

A triangle circumcenter is the point where the three perpendicular bisectors of a triangle intersect. A perpendicular bisector is a line that divides a line segment into two equal parts and forms a 90-degree angle with the line segment.

3. How are the centroid and circumcenter related?

The centroid and circumcenter of a triangle are both points of concurrency, meaning they are both points where multiple lines intersect. In a triangle, the centroid is always two-thirds of the distance from the vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side, while the circumcenter is equidistant from all three vertices.

4. What is the significance of the centroid and circumcenter in a triangle?

The centroid and circumcenter are important because they have properties that can be used to solve problems involving triangles, such as finding the area or perimeter of a triangle. They also have geometric significance, as the centroid is the center of mass of a triangle and the circumcenter is the center of the circumscribed circle of a triangle.

5. How can the relationship between the centroid and circumcenter be used in real-world applications?

The relationship between the centroid and circumcenter can be applied in various fields such as engineering, architecture, and physics. For example, in engineering and architecture, the centroid can be used to determine the center of gravity of a triangle-shaped structure, while the circumcenter can be used to find the optimal location for a circular structure that needs to be supported by the triangle's vertices.

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