- #1
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Submitted and judged by: @andrewkirk
Solution credit:
RULES:
1) In order for a solution to count, a full derivation or proof must be given. Answers with no proof will be ignored.
2) It is fine to use nontrivial results without proof as long as you cite them and as long as it is "common knowledge to all mathematicians". Whether the latter is satisfied will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
3) If you have seen the problem before and remember the solution, you cannot participate in the solution to that problem.
4) You are allowed to use google, wolframalpha or any other resource. However, you are not allowed to search the question directly. So if the question was to solve an integral, you are allowed to obtain numerical answers from software, you are allowed to search for useful integration techniques, but you cannot type in the integral in wolframalpha to see its solution.
CHALLENGE:
A triangle has vertices ##A##, ##B## and ##C##. Mark points ##A',B',C'## on edges ##\overline{BC},\overline{CA},\overline{AB}## respectively so that each is one third of the way along the edge, as shown in the diagram. The lines ##\overline{AA'},\overline{BB'},\overline{CC'}## intersect at points ##A'',B'',C''## and form a triangle inside triangle ##ABC##.
Find a formula for the ratio of the area of triangle ##A''B''C''## to that of triangle ##ABC## in terms of the side lengths and/or angles of the latter. Does this formula vary with the shape of the triangle?
There are different possible approaches to the derivation of a formula:
Solution credit:
RULES:
1) In order for a solution to count, a full derivation or proof must be given. Answers with no proof will be ignored.
2) It is fine to use nontrivial results without proof as long as you cite them and as long as it is "common knowledge to all mathematicians". Whether the latter is satisfied will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
3) If you have seen the problem before and remember the solution, you cannot participate in the solution to that problem.
4) You are allowed to use google, wolframalpha or any other resource. However, you are not allowed to search the question directly. So if the question was to solve an integral, you are allowed to obtain numerical answers from software, you are allowed to search for useful integration techniques, but you cannot type in the integral in wolframalpha to see its solution.
CHALLENGE:
A triangle has vertices ##A##, ##B## and ##C##. Mark points ##A',B',C'## on edges ##\overline{BC},\overline{CA},\overline{AB}## respectively so that each is one third of the way along the edge, as shown in the diagram. The lines ##\overline{AA'},\overline{BB'},\overline{CC'}## intersect at points ##A'',B'',C''## and form a triangle inside triangle ##ABC##.
Find a formula for the ratio of the area of triangle ##A''B''C''## to that of triangle ##ABC## in terms of the side lengths and/or angles of the latter. Does this formula vary with the shape of the triangle?
There are different possible approaches to the derivation of a formula:
- Using only Euclidean techniques: similar triangles, opposite and corresponding angles etc
- Using trigonometry
- Using coordinate geometry
- Another technique that gives a particularly neat derivation, which I won't give away other than to say it requires embedding the triangle in three-dimensional space.
Last edited: