Center Centroid

Geometry Level 3

A D 2 + B D 2 + C D 2 A B 2 + B C 2 + C A 2 \frac {AD^2 + BD^2 + CD^2}{AB^2 + BC^2 + CA^2}

The picture shows a Δ A B C \Delta ABC with centroid D D . What is the value of the expression above? Give your answer to three decimal places.


The answer is 0.333.

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5 solutions

Simple Method: Consider ABC as equilateral triangle of side 1 unit. then the calculation becomes simple.

Even though your method is better for getting the answer, but what if you had to write the proof that it will be constant for any triangle?

Anupam Nayak - 5 years, 6 months ago

Using Apollonius theorem, we have a result,

3 ( S u m o f t h e s q u a r e s o f t h e s i d e s o f a t r i a n g l e ) = 4 ( S u m o f s q u a r e s o f m e d i a n s ) 3( Sum of the squares of the sides of a triangle) = 4 ( Sum of squares of medians)

Now AD, BD, CD are 2/3 of the medians.

The required ratio will be = 4 / 9 [ S u m o f s q u a r e s o f m e d i a n s ] 4 / 3 [ S u m o f s q u a r e s o f m e d i a n s ] \dfrac{4/9 [ Sum of squares of medians] }{ 4/3 [Sum of squares of medians] } = 1 / 3 1/3

Hrithik Nambiar - 4 years, 3 months ago

Let A B = c AB=c , A C = b AC=b and B C = a BC=a . Also, let E E , F F and G G the the intersection points of A D AD with B C BC , B D BD with A C AC and C D CD with A B AB , respectively.

By Apollonius' theorem, we know that:

A E = 2 ( b 2 + c 2 ) a 2 2 AE=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(b^2+c^2)-a^2}}{2}

B F = 2 ( a 2 + c 2 ) b 2 2 BF=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(a^2+c^2)-b^2}}{2}

C G = 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) c 2 2 CG=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(a^2+b^2)-c^2}}{2}

Also we know that A D : D E = B D : D F = C D : D G = 2 : 1 AD:DE=BD:DF=CD:DG=2:1 , so:

A D = 2 ( b 2 + c 2 ) a 2 3 AD=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(b^2+c^2)-a^2}}{3}

B D = 2 ( a 2 + c 2 ) b 2 3 BD=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(a^2+c^2)-b^2}}{3}

C D = 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) c 2 3 CD=\dfrac{\sqrt{2(a^2+b^2)-c^2}}{3}

Finally, the value that we want is:

2 ( b 2 + c 2 ) a 2 + 2 ( a 2 + c 2 ) b 2 + 2 ( a 2 + b 2 ) c 2 9 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) = 3 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) 9 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) = 1 3 \dfrac{2(b^2+c^2)-a^2+2(a^2+c^2)-b^2+2(a^2+b^2)-c^2}{9(a^2+b^2+c^2)}=\dfrac{3(a^2+b^2+c^2)}{9(a^2+b^2+c^2)}=\boxed{\dfrac{1}{3}}

can you please prove apollonius' theorem

thank you

Nicholas Patrick - 6 years, 4 months ago

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonius%27_theorem

Hoo Zhi Yee - 6 years, 4 months ago
William Chau
Jan 30, 2015

Let m a , m b , m c m_a , m_b , m_c be the medians on a = B C , b = A C , c = A B a = BC, b = AC, c = AB of A B C \triangle ABC . Using Stewart's theorem " m a n + d a d = b n b + c n c man+dad = bnb+cnc ", we obtain a 2 a a 2 + m a a m a = b a 2 b + c a 2 c , \frac{a}{2}\cdot a\cdot\frac{a}{2}+m_a\cdot a\cdot m_a = b\cdot\frac{a}{2}\cdot b+c\cdot\frac{a}{2}\cdot c, a 2 + 4 m a 2 = 2 ( b 2 + c 2 ) , a^2+4m_a^2 = 2(b^2+c^2), 4 m a 2 = 2 ( b 2 + c 2 ) a 2 . 4m_a^2 = 2(b^2+c^2)-a^2. Adding this with two similar formulae for m b m_b and m c m_c , 4 ( m a 2 + m b 2 + m c 2 ) = 3 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) , 4(m_a^2+m_b^2+m_c^2) = 3(a^2+b^2+c^2), m a 2 + m b 2 + m c 2 = 3 4 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 ) . m_a^2+m_b^2+m_c^2 = \frac{3}{4}(a^2+b^2+c^2). Since D is the centroid of triangle A B C ABC , A D = 2 3 m a AD = \frac{2}{3}\cdot m_a , or A D 2 = 4 9 m a 2 AD^2 = \frac{4}{9}\cdot m_a^2 . Adding this with two similar formulae for B D 2 BD^2 and C D 2 CD^2 , A D 2 + B D 2 + C D 2 = 4 9 ( m a 2 + m b 2 + m c 2 ) . AD^2+BD^2+CD^2 = \frac{4}{9}(m_a^2+m_b^2+m_c^2). It follows that A D 2 + B D 2 + C D 2 a 2 + b 2 + c 2 = A D 2 + B D 2 + C D 2 m a 2 + m b 2 + m c 2 m a 2 + m b 2 + m c 2 a 2 + b 2 + c 2 = 4 9 3 4 = 1 3 . \frac{AD^2+BD^2+CD^2}{a^2+b^2+c^2}=\frac{AD^2+BD^2+CD^2}{m_a^2+m_b^2+m_c^2}\cdot\frac{m_a^2+m_b^2+m_c^2}{a^2+b^2+c^2}=\frac{4}{9}\cdot\frac{3}{4}=\frac{1}{3}.

Little more general,

Let ABC be an equilateral triangle of side a .

Hence AD = BD = CD = a^2 by root 3 .

Well I don't know how to write that :(

numerator = a^2 denominator = 3 (a^2) hence numerator / denominator = 0.33

Rifath Rahman
Oct 11, 2014

What is this?u're saying when 1:3=0.33333 to write as 0.34 and updated the answer as 0.333,please post answer correctly

1:3 means 1/3 hence 0.33333333333333

Rajdeep Dhingra - 6 years, 8 months ago

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but you have told to "type the ratio upto 2 decimals"

Kartik Sharma - 6 years, 7 months ago

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even when u estimate 0.333 .... u get 0.33 ..... it is not stated there to replace with the succeeding digidt ..... u hav been asked to round off ......

By the way, could someone post the soln for this problem???

Ganesh Ayyappan - 6 years, 6 months ago

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@Ganesh Ayyappan read the problem its saying if its 0.16666666666666 then type 0.17,so when its 0.333333333 so it should be 0.34

Rifath Rahman - 6 years, 5 months ago

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@Rifath Rahman It does not matter Brilliant rounds off your answer so there it no need to worry You can even ask @Calvin Lin

Rajdeep Dhingra - 6 years, 5 months ago

@Rifath Rahman 0.333 given to 2 decimal places is not 0.34.
0.1666 given to 2 decimal places is 0.17.

Calvin Lin Staff - 6 years, 4 months ago

Mr u just said to write to 2 decimal places and now or saying different thing.u r not making any sense

Rifath Rahman - 6 years, 5 months ago

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