Maxwell Theorem via the Center of Gravity

Michel Cabart
30 April, 2008

Below we offer a proof of Maxwell's theorem that is based on the notion of barycenter. Maxwell's theorem states the following fact:

Given ΔABC and a point G, the sides of ΔMNP are parallel to the cevians in ΔABC through G. Then the cevians in ΔMNP parallel to the sides of ΔABC are concurrent.

Below, the vector joining point A to B will be written in bold, so that, for example, AB = - BA.

In ΔABC with A', B', C' on sides opposite the vertices A, B, and C, the fact that the cevians AA', BB', CC' concur in point G is equivalent to either of the two conditions:

where Z(X, x; Y, y) denotes the barycenter of two material points X and Y with masses x at X and y at Y.

Let's suppose lines AA', BB' and CC' intersect.

Step 1: NP, PM, MN are parallel to GA, GB, GC means there exists x, y, z such that NP = xGA, PM = yGB, MN = zGC. As NP + PM + MN = 0, xGA + yGB + zGC = 0. A comparison with (1) shows that (x, y, z) is a multiple of (a, b, c). We can assume (x, y, z) = (a, b, c). Thus NP = aGA, PM = bGB, MN = cGC.

Step 2: MM', NN', PP' are parallel to BC, AC, AB meaning there is (m, n, p) such that MM' = mBC, NN' = nAC, PP' = pAB. The first equality yields

so that

by multiplying by bc. Similarly,

This proves the theorem thanks to (2).

Barycenter and Barycentric Coordinates

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2. Barycentric Coordinates
3. Barycentric Coordinates: a Tool
4. Barycentric Coordinates and Geometric Probability
   • Stick Broken Into Three Pieces (Trilinear Coordinates)
   • Stick Broken Into Three Pieces (Cartesian Coordinates)
5. Ceva's Theorem
6. Determinants, Area, and Barycentric Coordinates
7. Maxwell Theorem via the Center of Gravity
8. Medians in a Quadrilateral
9. Simultaneous Generalization of the Theorems of Ceva and Menelaus
   • Theorems of Ceva and Menelaus, an Illustrated Generalization
10. Three glasses puzzle
11. Van Obel Theorem and Barycentric Coordinates

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