Is this a similarity criterion?

Geometry Level 4

If two of the corresponding sides and the circumradii of two triangles are in the same proportion, will they be similar?

YES, certainly NO, definitely not Not enough information

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2 solutions

Unfortunately, the given fact of the porpotionality of two sides and the circumradii of the triangles, does not guarantee similarity. The triangles may be similar, as well as they may not.

In figures 1 and 2 , we have triangles A B C \triangle ABC and A 1 B 1 C 1 \triangle A_1 B_1 C_1 with sides A B = c AB=c , A C = b AC=b , A 1 B 1 = c 1 A_1B_1=c_1 , A 1 C 1 = b 1 A_1C_1=b_1 , and circumradii R R , R 1 R_1 respectively.
Suppose b b 1 = c c 1 = R R 1 . \frac{b}{{{b_1}}} = \frac{c}{{{c_1}}} = \frac{R}{{{R_1}}}.

Then, by SSS (side-side-side) criterion, O A B \triangle OAB is similar to O 1 A 1 B 1 \triangle O_1A_1B_1 . Hence ϕ = O A B = O 1 A 1 B 1 = ϕ 1 \phi=\angle OAB=\angle O_1A_1B_1=\phi_1 .

Same way, O A C \triangle OAC is similar to O 1 A 1 C 1 \triangle O_1A_1C_1 . Hence θ = O A B = O 1 A 1 B 1 = θ 1 \theta=\angle OAB=\angle O_1A_1B_1=\theta_1 .

Combining, B A C = φ + θ = φ 1 + θ 1 = B 1 A 1 C 1 \angle BAC = \varphi + \theta = {\varphi _1} + {\theta _1} = \angle {B_1}{A_1}{C_1} .
Now, by SAS (side-angle-side) criterion, A B C \triangle ABC and A 1 B 1 C 1 \triangle A_1 B_1 C_1 are similar.

However, beware!
Τhis result is valid only if both circumcenters of the two triangles lay inside the angle subtended by the sides involved in the proportion (or, if both lay outside this angle).

In figure 3 , we see that there exists another triangle, A 1 B 1 C 2 \triangle A_1B_1C_2 , that has A 1 B 1 = c 1 A_1B_1=c_1 , A 1 C 2 = A 1 C 1 = b 1 A_1C_2= A_1C_1=b_1 and circumradius R 1 R_1 .
Thus, triangles A B C \triangle ABC and A 1 B 1 C 2 \triangle A_1 B_1 C_2 do have two corresponding sides and their circumradii in the same proportion, yet, obviously, they are not similar.

In conclusion, the correct answer is Not enough information \boxed{\text{Not enough information}} .

David Vreken
Jun 30, 2020

Example 1:

A B C \triangle ABC where a = 1 a = 1 , b = 1 b = 1 , and c = 1 c = 1 . Then the area is K = 3 4 K = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} , and the circumradius is R = a b c 4 K = 3 3 R = \frac{abc}{4K} = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{3} .

A B C \triangle A'B'C' where a = 2 a' = 2 , b = 2 b' = 2 , and c = 2 c' = 2 . Then the area is K = 3 K' = \sqrt{3} , and the circumradius is R = a b c 4 K = 2 3 3 R' = \frac{a'b'c'}{4K'} = \frac{2\sqrt{3}}{3} .

Then two of the corresponding sides and the circumradii of these two triangles are in the same proportion ( b b = c c = R R = 2 \frac{b'}{b} = \frac{c'}{c} = \frac{R'}{R} = 2 ) and the two triangles are similar.

Example 2:

A B C \triangle ABC where a = 2 a = 2 , b = 2 b = 2 , and c = 1 c = 1 . Then the area (by Heron's formula) is K = 15 4 K = \frac{\sqrt{15}}{4} , and the circumradius is R = a b c 4 K = 16 15 15 R = \frac{abc}{4K} = \frac{16\sqrt{15}}{15} .

A B C \triangle A'B'C' where a = 3 a' = 3 , b = 4 b' = 4 , and c = 2 c' = 2 . Then the area (by Heron's formula) is K = 3 15 4 K' = \frac{3\sqrt{15}}{4} , and the circumradius is R = a b c 4 K = 32 15 15 R' = \frac{a'b'c'}{4K'} = \frac{32\sqrt{15}}{15} .

Then two of the corresponding sides and the circumradii of these two triangles are in the same proportion ( b b = c c = R R = 2 \frac{b'}{b} = \frac{c'}{c} = \frac{R'}{R} = 2 ) but the two triangles are not similar.

The two different examples show that there is not enough information to know if the two triangles are similar.

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