If Δ A B C is not equilateral and the Euler line is parallel to B C , what is tan B × tan C ?
Give your answer to 3 decimal places.
This problem is part of my set: Geometry
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Why does A H = 2 × O M ?
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Right △ A H G ∼ Right △ M O G
then, M O A H = G M A G .
A M is a median in △ A B C and G is a centroid, so A G = 2 × G M .
therefore, A H = 2 × O M
Nice presentation
Solution using complex bash:
Let B = R C = R e 2 i A A = R e 2 i ( A + B ) where R is the circumradius of Δ A B C ,origin is the circumcentre and A , B and C are used to denote vertices (in the argand plane) in the LHS and angles in the RHS. To see how this is true, draw a circle centred at origin and use central angle theorem .
Then, the centroid, G = 3 R ( 1 + e 2 i A + e 2 i ( A + B ) ) B C ∥ O G ⟺ C − B G ∈ R ⟺ 2 cos A + cos ( A + 2 B ) = 0 ( on simplifying C − B G and equating imaginary part to zero ) ⟺ 2 cos ( B + C ) + cos ( B − C ) = 0 ( ∵ A + B + C = π ) ⟺ 3 cos B cos C = sin B sin C ( on expanding using addition formula ) ⟺ tan B tan C = 3
⟹ B C ∥ O G ⟺ tan B tan C = 3
Not bad bash...liked it.
Or you can take the special case of assuming triangle ABC is equilateral since the answer shouldn't change. The lazy way to get through this questions (and because OP dared us to).
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In an equilateral triangle, all the triangle centres are concurrent so there is no Euler Line. This is why the triangle can't be equilateral.
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But then it is a special case, a weird special case but one that will still work since it seemed like it would and also geometry doesn't seem to dislike these exceptions. It is true that if one asked if the Euler line made a 30 degree angle with BC, yeah, it probably wouldn't have the same answer, and I would get it wrong. So yeah, don't do it.
The question states that it isn't equilateral. Lucky guess.
Let A = ( 1 , 0 , 0 ) , B = ( 0 , 1 , 0 ) , C = ( 0 , 0 , 1 ) in areal coordinates.
The orthocentre and centroid have coordinates H = ( t a n ( A ) , t a n ( B ) , t a n ( C ) ) , G = ( 1 , 1 , 1 )
The line B C has equation x + 0 y + 0 z = 0 so all lines parallel to this have equation ( 1 + s ) x + s y + s z = 0 for some s
The line GH (Euler Line) has equation ( t a n ( B ) − t a n ( C ) ) x + ( t a n ( C ) − t a n ( A ) ) y + ( t a n ( A ) − t a n ( B ) ) z + 0
So s + 1 = t a n ( B ) − t a n ( C ) , s = t a n ( C ) − t a n ( A ) = t a n ( A ) − t a n ( B ) for some s .
Adding together the second two equations we get t a n ( C ) − t a n ( B ) = 2 s ⇒ − 2 s = s + 1 ⇒ s = − 3 1
Let t a n ( A ) = x giving t a n ( B ) = x + 3 1 , t a n ( C ) = x − 3 1
Using t a n ( A ) = t a n ( 1 8 0 − ( B + C ) ) = − t a n ( B + C ) we get:
x = − 1 − ( x + 3 1 ) ( x − 3 1 ) x + 3 1 + x − 3 1 ⇒ x = x 2 − 9 1 0 2 x ⇒ x 3 − 9 2 8 x = 0
But x = t a n ( A ) = 0 so x 2 = 9 2 8
t a n ( B ) t a n ( C ) = ( x + 3 1 ) ( x − 3 1 ) = x 2 − 9 1 = 9 2 8 − 9 1 = 3
Actually, tan B tan C = 3 ⟺ tan B + tan C = 2 tan A as long as none of the angles are right angles .
Will it not be a special case?
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I proved t a n ( C ) − t a n ( A ) = t a n ( A ) − t a b ( B ) ⇒ t a n ( C ) + t a n ( B ) = 2 t a n ( A )
If A + B + C = 1 8 0 we have: t a n ( A ) + t a n ( B ) + t a n ( C ) = t a n ( A ) t a n ( B ) t a n ( C )
t a n ( B ) + t a n ( C ) = 2 t a n ( A ) ⇒ 3 t a n ( A ) = t a n ( A ) t a n ( B ) t a n ( C ) ⇒ t a n ( B ) t a n ( C ) = 3
No. I meant once you prove that the tans are in AP.
Not bad...good one rather.
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For Euler line , O H ∥ C B ,
A H = 2 × O M = 2 × H P ,
H P = 3 1 A P ,
tan B = P B A P ,
∠ C = 9 0 ∘ − ∠ H B P .
tan C = = = = cot ( ∠ H B P ) H P P B A P / 3 A P / tan B tan B 3 .
⇒ tan B tan C = 3 .