Triangle inequality, parallelogram equality

AI Thread Summary
The triangle inequality theorem states that in any triangle, the length of one side is less than the sum and greater than the difference of the other two sides. This concept extends to vector addition, where two vectors x and y can be visualized as forming a triangle with their resultant vector x+y. The expression |x+y| ≤ |x| + |y| reflects this geometric relationship in vector space. Parallelogram equality relates to the properties of vectors as well, where the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, reinforcing the idea of equality in vector magnitudes. Understanding these geometric interpretations clarifies the connections between triangle inequality and parallelogram equality.
asdf1
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what does a triangle have to do with triangle inequality, and what does a paralllelogram have to do with parallelogram equality?
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i'm still confused:
"triangle inequality is the theorem stating that for any triangle, the measure of a given side must be less than the sum of the other two sides but greater than the difference between the two sides."
yet "|x+y| ≤ |x|+|y| " shouldn't mean "|z|≤ |x|+|y| "?
 
asdf1 said:
i'm still confused:
"triangle inequality is the theorem stating that for any triangle, the measure of a given side must be less than the sum of the other two sides but greater than the difference between the two sides."
yet "|x+y| ≤ |x|+|y| " shouldn't mean "|z|≤ |x|+|y| "?

If you think of x and y as vectors in space they will form a triangle with a third vector that is the vector sum x+y so the inequality makes sense.
 
thank you very much!
 

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