Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Geometry Problem 1170: Area of a Triangle in terms of the three sides, a-b-c

Geometry Problem. Post your solution in the comments box below.
Level: Mathematics Education, High School, Honors Geometry, College.

Click the figure below to view more details of problem 1170.

Online Math: Geometry Problem 1170: Area of a Triangle in terms of the three sides, a-b-c.

3 comments:

  1. Draw altitude BD = h and let AD = p

    So h^2 = c^2 -p^2 = a^2 -(b-p)^2

    Simplifying p = (b^2 + c^2-a^2)/2b and
    h^2 = c^2 -(b^2+c^2-a^2)^2/4b^2

    So K^2 = h^2b^2/4 = {4b^2 c^2 - (b^2 + c^2- a^2) }/16 which simplifies to

    K^2 ={ 2b^2 c^2 + 2 c^2 a^2 + 2 a^2 b^2 - a^4 - b ^4 - c^2}/16 from which upon taking the square root the result follows

    Sumith Peiris
    Moratuwa
    Sri Lanka

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  2. K^2 = (p)(p-a)(p-b)(p-c) ; where p = (a+b+c)/2 ...

    K^2 = (a+b+c)/2 * (b+c-a)/2 * (a+c-b)/2 * (a+b-c)/2

    K^2 = 1/16 * [(a+b)^2 - c^2] * -[(b-a)^2 - c^2]

    K^2 = 1/16 * -{(a+b)^2(a-b)^2 - c^2[(a+b)^2 + (a-b)^2] + c^4}

    K^2 = 1/16 * -{(a^2-b^2)^2 - c^2(2*a^2 + 2*b^2) + c^4}

    K^2 = 1/16 * -{a^4 - 2*a^2*b^2 + b^4 - 2*c^2a^2 - 2*c^2*b^2 + c^4}

    K^2 = [-a^4 + 2*a^2*b^2 - b^4 + 2*c^2a^2 + 2*c^2*b^2 - c^4]/16

    K = [2*a^2*b^2 + 2*c^2a^2 + 2*c^2*b^2 -a^4 - b^4 - c^4]^(1/2) /4

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