Homothety

In mathematics, a homothety (or homothecy, or homogeneous dilation) is a transformation of an

affine space determined by a point S called its center and a nonzero number called its ratio, which
sends point to a point by the rule [1]

Homothety: Example with

For one gets the identity (no
point is moved),
for an enlargement
for a reduction

Example with
For one gets a point
reflection at point
 Homothety of a pyramid

for a fixed number .

Using position vectors:

In case of (Origin):

which is a uniform scaling and shows the meaning of special choices for :

for one gets the identity mapping,

for one gets the reflection at the center,

For one gets the inverse mapping defined by .

In Euclidean geometry homotheties are the similarities that fix a point and either preserve (if )
or reverse (if ) the direction of all vectors. Together with the translations, all homotheties of
an affine (or Euclidean) space form a group, the group of dilations or homothety-translations. These
are precisely the affine transformations with the property that the image of every line g is a line
parallel to g.

In projective geometry, a homothetic transformation is a similarity transformation (i.e., fixes a given

elliptic involution) that leaves the line at infinity pointwise invariant.[2]

In Euclidean geometry, a homothety of ratio multiplies distances between points by , areas by

and volumes by . Here is the ratio of magnification or dilation factor or scale factor or
similitude ratio. Such a transformation can be called an enlargement if the scale factor exceeds 1.
The above-mentioned fixed point S is called homothetic center or center of similarity or center of
similitude.

The term, coined by French mathematician Michel Chasles, is derived from two Greek elements: the
prefix homo- (όμο), meaning "similar", and thesis (Θέσις), meaning "position". It describes the
relationship between two figures of the same shape and orientation. For example, two Russian dolls
looking in the same direction can be considered homothetic.
Homotheties are used to scale the contents of computer screens; for example, smartphones,
notebooks, and laptops.

Properties

The following properties hold in any dimension.

Mapping lines, line segments and angles

A homothety has the following properties:

A line is mapped onto a parallel line. Hence: angles remain unchanged.

The ratio of two line segments is preserved.

Both properties show:

A homothety is a similarity.

Derivation of the properties: In order to make calculations easy it is assumed that the center is the
origin: . A line with parametric representation is mapped onto the point set
with equation , which is a line parallel to .

The distance of two points is and the distance

between their images. Hence, the ratio (quotient) of two line segments remains unchanged .

In case of the calculation is analogous but a little extensive.

Consequences: A triangle is mapped on a similar one. The homothetic image of a circle is a circle.
The image of an ellipse is a similar one. i.e. the ratio of the two axes is unchanged.

With intercept theorem

Graphical constructions

using the intercept theorem

If for a homothety with center the image of a point is given (see diagram) then the image
of a second point , which lies not on line can be constructed graphically using the
intercept theorem: is the common point th two lines and . The image of a point
collinear with can be determined using .

Pantograph

Geometrical background

Pantograph 3d rendering

using a pantograph

Before computers became ubiquitous, scalings of drawings were done by using a pantograph, a tool
similar to a compass.

Construction and geometrical background:

1. Take 4 rods and assemble a mobile parallelogram with vertices such that the
two rods meeting at are prolonged at the other end as shown in the diagram. Choose the
ratio .
 2. On the prolonged rods mark the two points such that and
. This is the case if (Instead of the location of
the center can be prescribed. In this case the ratio is .)

3. Attach the mobile rods rotatable at point .

4. Vary the location of point and mark at each time point .

Because of (see diagram) one gets from the intercept theorem

that the points are collinear (lie on a line) and equation holds. That shows:
the mapping is a homothety with center and ratio .

Composition

The composition of two homotheties

with centers and ratios
mapping
is a homothety
again with its center on line
with ratio .

The composition of two homotheties with the same center is again a homothety with center .
The homotheties with center form a group.

The composition of two homotheties with different centers and its ratios is

in case of a homothety with its center on line and ratio or

in case of a translation in direction . Especially, if (point

reflections).

Derivation:

For the composition of the two homotheties with centers with

one gets by calculation for the image of point :

Hence, the composition is

in case of a translation in direction by vector .

in case of point

is a fixpoint (is not moved) and the composition

is a homothety with center and ratio . lies on line .

Composition with a translation

The composition of a homothety and a translation is a homothety.

Derivation:

The composition of the homothety

and the translation

is
which is a homothety with center and ratio .

In homogeneous coordinates

The homothety with center can be written as the composition

of a homothety with center and a translation:

Hence can be represented in homogeneous coordinates by the matrix:

A pure homothety linear transformation is also conformal because it is composed of translation and
uniform scale.

See also

Scaling (geometry) a similar notion in vector spaces

Homothetic center, the center of a homothetic transformation taking one of a pair of shapes into
the other

The Hadwiger conjecture on the number of strictly smaller homothetic copies of a convex body
that may be needed to cover it

Homothetic function (economics), a function of the form f(U(y)) in which U is a homogeneous

function and f is a monotonically increasing function.

Notes

1. Hadamard, p. 145)

2. Tuller (1967, p. 119)

References

H.S.M. Coxeter, "Introduction to geometry" , Wiley (1961), p. 94

Hadamard, J., Lessons in Plane Geometry

 Meserve, Bruce E. (1955), "Homothetic transformations", Fundamental Concepts of Geometry,
Addison-Wesley, pp. 166–169

Tuller, Annita (1967), A Modern Introduction to Geometries, University Series in Undergraduate

Mathematics, Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand Co.

External links

Homothety (http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/Homothety.shtml) , interactive

applet from Cut-the-Knot.