3.

Triangles: Advanced Topics AHS Competitive Geometry Geometry Lecture Notes

3 Triangles: Advanced Topics

3.1 Introduction
This is the second, and sadly last, day we will be spending on triangles. Once you understand everything
from here and last week, you’ll be ready to do any triangle problem the world of math competition can throw
at you, which although quite specific, is good news, because triangles show up all over the place.

3.2 Cevians
This stu↵ is fun, and pretty important for more advanced problems, so learn it. A lot of this material will be
familiar to you, but we’re covering it much more rigorously. Don’t be turned o↵ by the amount of theory
here: this is very important to know to do problems, and there are a lot of good ideas to take away.
Definition 3.1. A cevian is a segment with one endpoint at a vertex of a triangle, and the other on the
(possibly extended) opposite side of the triangles.

Definition 3.2. In 4ABC, if point D is on BC, cevian AC is a altitude if AD ? BC.

Definition 3.3. In 4ABC, if point D is on BC, cevian AC is an angle bisector if ]BAD = ]DAC.
Definition 3.4. In 4ABC, if point D is on BC, cevian AC is a median if BD = DC.
In the triangle shown below, AD is an altitude, AE is an angle bisector, and AF is a median.

C B
D E F

Now, let’s talk about some special properties of all these di↵erent kinds of cevians.
Theorem 3.1. In 4ABC, if AB = AC, and AD is one of an angle bisector, median, or altitude, it is all
three.
Proof. Any one of these three will split the triangle into 2 congruent right triangles, so it must also be the
other two.
AB AC
Theorem 3.2. (Angle Bisector Theorem) In 4ABC, if AD is an angle bisector, then = .
BD CD
Proof. This is another tricky application of similar triangles, so lets work through the details. The main idea
is to construct the line through B parallel to AD, and let it meet AC at E, as shown below.
E
A

C
B
D

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3. Triangles: Advanced Topics AHS Competitive Geometry Geometry Lecture Notes

Now, because BE k AD, ]DAB = ]ABE, and ]CAD = ]AEB. AD is an angle bisector, so ]CAD =
]BAD, and so ]ABE = ]AEB =) AE = AB. Then, the parallel lines create similar triangles, so
CD AC AC AB AC
= = =) = .
BD AE AB BD CD

And finally, we should learn how to find the length of a cevian.

Theorem 3.3. In 4ABC, if D lies on BC, CD = n and BD = m, and AD = d, then man+dad = bmb+cnc.
This requires more machinery than we have right now, so take my word on it. This is best remembered in
the form shown above, and you’ll know exactly when to use it because you’ll know every length except one in
that equation.

Exercise 3.1. The sum of the squares of the lengths of the medians of a triangle is 120. Find the sum of
the squares of the lengths of the sides of the triangle.

3.3 Triangle Centers

We are now ready to move on to the all important idea of the triangle center.
Definition 3.5. A triangle center is a point where 3 cevians that share some property intersect.
This definition is pretty general, and may not even make sense to you right now, and although its actually not
completely true, its good enough for our purposes, and will hopefully be clarified by the following examples.
Theorem 3.4. The medians of a triangle concur at a point.
Proof. Suppose the medians are AD, BE, CF . Then,
AE CD BF
= = = 1,
EC DB FA
so Ceva’s theorems implies these three cevians intersect at a point. This point is called the centroid.
Exercise 3.2. In triangle ABC with centroid G, M is the midpoint of BC. If AG = 11, find GM .
Exercise 3.3. (2012 HMMT November #9) Consider triangle ABC where BC = 7, CA = 8, and AB = 9.
D and E are the midpoints of BC and CA, respectively, and AD and BE meet at G. The reflection of G
across D is G0 , and G0 E meets CG at P . Find the length P G.
Theorem 3.5. The angle bisectors of a triangle concur at a point.
Proof. Suppose the angle bisectors are AD, BE, CF . Then, using the Angle Bisector Theorem,
AE CD BF AB AC BC
· · = · · = 1.
EC DB F A BC AB AC
So again, the three intersect at one point by Ceva’s theorem. This point is called the incenter.
Theorem 3.6. The altitudes of a triangle concur at a point.
Proof. This proof is essentially analogous to the other two, but rewriting the ratios in Ceva’s is a little trickier,
so try it for yourself if you want. If not, I promise its true.
Theorem 3.7. The perpendicular bisectors of the sides of a triangle concur.
Proof. This works out exactly the same as the medians. Note that the perpendicular bisectors are not cevians,
strictly speaking, since they may or may not pass through a vertex of the triangle, but they concur all the
same. The point where they concur is the circumcenter.

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3. Triangles: Advanced Topics AHS Competitive Geometry Geometry Lecture Notes

The incenter and centroid always lie inside a triangle, but the circumcenter and orthocenter can lie on or
outside a triangle, and they do in obtuse triangles. The incenter and circumcenter can also be examined in a
di↵erent context, which we will do eventually. We could do some problems now, but most of these ideas are
fairly simple, even if proving them is not, so you can practice these tools on the practice problems at the end.
Before we move on, there’s one more important theorem.

3.4 Area
The area of a triangle can be calculated in a bunch of di↵erent ways, and you are expected to know quite a
few of them. Let’s start from the most basic.

Theorem 3.8. The area of a triangle with base length b and height h is 12 bh.
Proof. Draw a box around the triangle, and the altitude, as shown below. The altitude splits it into two
boxes, and each side is a diagonal of a little box, so the total triangle is half the area of the whole box, which
is 21 bh.

1
Theorem 3.9. The area of 4ABC is also 2 · AB · BC · sin B.
h 1
Proof. Draw the altitude from C to AB with length h, and then sin B = BC , so 2 · AB · BC · sin B = 12 bh.
1
Exercise 3.4. (NIMO January 2014 #5) In triangle ABC, sin A sin B sin C = 1000 and AB · BC · CA = 1000.
What is the area of triangle ABC?
p
Theorem 3.10. (Heron’s Formula) In 4ABC, if s = a+b+c
2 , then [ABC] = s(s a)(s b)(s c).
Proof. Draw the altitude to AB and let BD = x and CD = h. Then, we have

x2 + h2 = a2 and (c x)2 + h2 = b2 .
s ✓ ◆2
c2 + a2 b2
Solving this system gives h = a2 . Then, we manipulate:
2c
s ✓ 2 ◆2
1 c + a 2 b2
[ABC] = c a2
2 2c
v
u
u c2 ✓ 2 ◆2 !
t 2
c + a 2 b2
= · a
4 2c
s
⇣ ca ⌘2 ✓ c2 + a2 b2 ◆2
=
2 4

Now, a di↵erence of squares and some factoring gives us the expression we want:

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3. Triangles: Advanced Topics AHS Competitive Geometry Geometry Lecture Notes

s✓ ◆✓ ◆
ca c2 + a2 b2 ca c2 + a2 b2
[ABC] = +
2 4 2 4
s✓ ◆✓ 2 ◆
c2 + 2ca + a2 b2 b c2 + 2ca a2
=
4 4
s✓ ◆ ✓ ◆
(a + c)2 b2 b2 (a + c)2
=
4 4
r
(a + b + c)(b + c a)(a + b c)(a b + c)
=
16
s✓ ◆✓ ◆✓ ◆✓ ◆
a+b+c a+b+c a+b+c a+b+c
= a b c
2 2 2 2
p
= s(s a)(s b)(s c).

And now, we look at the relationship between areas of similar triangles.

Theorem 3.11. If 4ABC ⇠ 4DEF with similarity ratio k, their areas are in the ratio k 2 .

Proof. If we let the height of 4ABC be h,

1
[DEF ] 2 DE · kh DE
= 1 = · k = k2 .
[ABC] 2 AB · h
AB

This is all we’ll do for now, but the area of a triangle will be something we periodically revisit and explore
from a new angle.

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3. Triangles: Advanced Topics AHS Competitive Geometry Geometry Lecture Notes

3.5 Problems
1. In 4ABC, AB = 13, BC = 14, and CA = 15. Find the length of the angle bisector to AC.
2. Find the area of an equilateral triangle with side length s.

3. Find the length of the altitude drawn to the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose legs are 6 and 8.

4. If the sides of 4ABC are in the ratio of 3 : 4 : 5, find the area if the perimeter is 60.

5. In 4ABC, AB = 8, AC = 10, and BC = 9. AD bisects angle A and meets BC at D. Find BD.

6. The sides of 4ABC have lengths of 8, 9, and 13. If the midpoints of its sides are joined, find the
perimeter of the triangle formed.

7. In triangle ABC , side AC and the perpendicular bisector of BC meet at point D, and BD bisects
]ABC. If AD = 9 and DC = 7, what is the area of triangle ABD?

8. In triangle ABC, medians AD and CE intersect at P , P E = 1.5, P D = 2, and DE = 2.5. What is the
area of AEDC?

D
P

A B
E

9. In triangle ABC, AB = 13, BC = 14 and CA = 15. Segment BC is split into n + 1 congruent segments
by n points. Among these points are the feet of the altitude, median, and angle bisector from A. Find
the smallest possible value of n.

10. An angle is drawn on a set of equally spaced parallel lines as shown. The ratio of the area of shaded
region C to the area of shaded region B is 11
5 . Find the ratio of shaded region D to the area of shaded
region A.

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