Line diving 2 triangles in a plane in equal halves by area
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Can you prove or disprove that for any 2 triangles in a plane, there will always be a line passing through them both which divide each of them into 2 halves of equal area? If said line exists, how can we find it?
geometry
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Can you prove or disprove that for any 2 triangles in a plane, there will always be a line passing through them both which divide each of them into 2 halves of equal area? If said line exists, how can we find it?
geometry
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
2
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Can you prove or disprove that for any 2 triangles in a plane, there will always be a line passing through them both which divide each of them into 2 halves of equal area? If said line exists, how can we find it?
geometry
Can you prove or disprove that for any 2 triangles in a plane, there will always be a line passing through them both which divide each of them into 2 halves of equal area? If said line exists, how can we find it?
geometry
geometry
asked Nov 15 at 9:06
Aashish Rathi
142
142
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
2
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52
add a comment |
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
2
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
2
2
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
Of course one can make appeal to the ham-sandwich-theorem. But for two triangles it should be possible to obtain, at least in principle, an explicit solution.
We first have to describe the set of lines dividing a single triangle into two parts of equal area. To this end consider the triangle $T$ with vertices $(0,0)$, $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. A line cutting off the origin together with half the area of this triangle has an equation of the form
$${xover u}+{yover v}=1 ,$$
whereby $u,vin>]0,1[>$ and $uv={1over2}$. The family of these lines can therefore be described in the form
$$2v^2x+y-v=0,qquad0<v<1 .$$
The envelope of this family turns out to be an arc $gamma$ of the hyperbola $xy={1over8}$, whereby the endpoints of this arc are the midpoints $bigl({1over2},{1over4}bigr)$ and $bigl({1over4},{1over2}bigr)$ of the medians through the vertices $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. Of course these medians themselves are tangent to the arc $gamma$ in these points, since they are halving the area of $T$. By affinity it is not necessary to do a similar computation for cutting off another vertex of $T$: In all we obtain three arcs of hyperbolas that form a "hyperbolic triangle" with cusps in the midpoints of the medians of $T$. It is possible to rotate a line $ell$ smoothly $180^circ$ along these three arcs so that $ell$ touches (at least) one of the arcs at all times.
If we now are given two arbitrary triangles $T_1$, $T_2$ then each of them has its own "hyperbolic triangle" $H_i$. The rotating $ell$ of $H_1$ will then at a certain moment be tangent to one of the arcs of $H_2$ (one would have to check this). In this position the line $ell$ halves both triangle areas simultaneously.
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
Of course one can make appeal to the ham-sandwich-theorem. But for two triangles it should be possible to obtain, at least in principle, an explicit solution.
We first have to describe the set of lines dividing a single triangle into two parts of equal area. To this end consider the triangle $T$ with vertices $(0,0)$, $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. A line cutting off the origin together with half the area of this triangle has an equation of the form
$${xover u}+{yover v}=1 ,$$
whereby $u,vin>]0,1[>$ and $uv={1over2}$. The family of these lines can therefore be described in the form
$$2v^2x+y-v=0,qquad0<v<1 .$$
The envelope of this family turns out to be an arc $gamma$ of the hyperbola $xy={1over8}$, whereby the endpoints of this arc are the midpoints $bigl({1over2},{1over4}bigr)$ and $bigl({1over4},{1over2}bigr)$ of the medians through the vertices $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. Of course these medians themselves are tangent to the arc $gamma$ in these points, since they are halving the area of $T$. By affinity it is not necessary to do a similar computation for cutting off another vertex of $T$: In all we obtain three arcs of hyperbolas that form a "hyperbolic triangle" with cusps in the midpoints of the medians of $T$. It is possible to rotate a line $ell$ smoothly $180^circ$ along these three arcs so that $ell$ touches (at least) one of the arcs at all times.
If we now are given two arbitrary triangles $T_1$, $T_2$ then each of them has its own "hyperbolic triangle" $H_i$. The rotating $ell$ of $H_1$ will then at a certain moment be tangent to one of the arcs of $H_2$ (one would have to check this). In this position the line $ell$ halves both triangle areas simultaneously.
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
Of course one can make appeal to the ham-sandwich-theorem. But for two triangles it should be possible to obtain, at least in principle, an explicit solution.
We first have to describe the set of lines dividing a single triangle into two parts of equal area. To this end consider the triangle $T$ with vertices $(0,0)$, $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. A line cutting off the origin together with half the area of this triangle has an equation of the form
$${xover u}+{yover v}=1 ,$$
whereby $u,vin>]0,1[>$ and $uv={1over2}$. The family of these lines can therefore be described in the form
$$2v^2x+y-v=0,qquad0<v<1 .$$
The envelope of this family turns out to be an arc $gamma$ of the hyperbola $xy={1over8}$, whereby the endpoints of this arc are the midpoints $bigl({1over2},{1over4}bigr)$ and $bigl({1over4},{1over2}bigr)$ of the medians through the vertices $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. Of course these medians themselves are tangent to the arc $gamma$ in these points, since they are halving the area of $T$. By affinity it is not necessary to do a similar computation for cutting off another vertex of $T$: In all we obtain three arcs of hyperbolas that form a "hyperbolic triangle" with cusps in the midpoints of the medians of $T$. It is possible to rotate a line $ell$ smoothly $180^circ$ along these three arcs so that $ell$ touches (at least) one of the arcs at all times.
If we now are given two arbitrary triangles $T_1$, $T_2$ then each of them has its own "hyperbolic triangle" $H_i$. The rotating $ell$ of $H_1$ will then at a certain moment be tangent to one of the arcs of $H_2$ (one would have to check this). In this position the line $ell$ halves both triangle areas simultaneously.
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Of course one can make appeal to the ham-sandwich-theorem. But for two triangles it should be possible to obtain, at least in principle, an explicit solution.
We first have to describe the set of lines dividing a single triangle into two parts of equal area. To this end consider the triangle $T$ with vertices $(0,0)$, $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. A line cutting off the origin together with half the area of this triangle has an equation of the form
$${xover u}+{yover v}=1 ,$$
whereby $u,vin>]0,1[>$ and $uv={1over2}$. The family of these lines can therefore be described in the form
$$2v^2x+y-v=0,qquad0<v<1 .$$
The envelope of this family turns out to be an arc $gamma$ of the hyperbola $xy={1over8}$, whereby the endpoints of this arc are the midpoints $bigl({1over2},{1over4}bigr)$ and $bigl({1over4},{1over2}bigr)$ of the medians through the vertices $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. Of course these medians themselves are tangent to the arc $gamma$ in these points, since they are halving the area of $T$. By affinity it is not necessary to do a similar computation for cutting off another vertex of $T$: In all we obtain three arcs of hyperbolas that form a "hyperbolic triangle" with cusps in the midpoints of the medians of $T$. It is possible to rotate a line $ell$ smoothly $180^circ$ along these three arcs so that $ell$ touches (at least) one of the arcs at all times.
If we now are given two arbitrary triangles $T_1$, $T_2$ then each of them has its own "hyperbolic triangle" $H_i$. The rotating $ell$ of $H_1$ will then at a certain moment be tangent to one of the arcs of $H_2$ (one would have to check this). In this position the line $ell$ halves both triangle areas simultaneously.
Of course one can make appeal to the ham-sandwich-theorem. But for two triangles it should be possible to obtain, at least in principle, an explicit solution.
We first have to describe the set of lines dividing a single triangle into two parts of equal area. To this end consider the triangle $T$ with vertices $(0,0)$, $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. A line cutting off the origin together with half the area of this triangle has an equation of the form
$${xover u}+{yover v}=1 ,$$
whereby $u,vin>]0,1[>$ and $uv={1over2}$. The family of these lines can therefore be described in the form
$$2v^2x+y-v=0,qquad0<v<1 .$$
The envelope of this family turns out to be an arc $gamma$ of the hyperbola $xy={1over8}$, whereby the endpoints of this arc are the midpoints $bigl({1over2},{1over4}bigr)$ and $bigl({1over4},{1over2}bigr)$ of the medians through the vertices $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. Of course these medians themselves are tangent to the arc $gamma$ in these points, since they are halving the area of $T$. By affinity it is not necessary to do a similar computation for cutting off another vertex of $T$: In all we obtain three arcs of hyperbolas that form a "hyperbolic triangle" with cusps in the midpoints of the medians of $T$. It is possible to rotate a line $ell$ smoothly $180^circ$ along these three arcs so that $ell$ touches (at least) one of the arcs at all times.
If we now are given two arbitrary triangles $T_1$, $T_2$ then each of them has its own "hyperbolic triangle" $H_i$. The rotating $ell$ of $H_1$ will then at a certain moment be tangent to one of the arcs of $H_2$ (one would have to check this). In this position the line $ell$ halves both triangle areas simultaneously.
edited Nov 17 at 14:27
answered Nov 15 at 11:04
Christian Blatter
170k7111325
170k7111325
add a comment |
add a comment |
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f2999447%2fline-diving-2-triangles-in-a-plane-in-equal-halves-by-area%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Triangles do not overlap, right?
– Narasimham
Nov 15 at 9:12
2
This is an application in dimension $2$ of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_sandwich_theorem
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:20
Very similar question: math.stackexchange.com/questions/1452917/…
– Robert Z
Nov 15 at 9:28
@Robert Z It is more than very similar...
– Jean Marie
Nov 15 at 21:52