Outline Mathematics
Geometry
Two Equilateral Triangles
The following problem was offered at the LXI Moscow Mathematical Olympiad for grade 9 (which is likely to be equivalent to the US grade 11):
In an equilateral triangle ABC, point D lies on BC and an equilateral triangle ADE is constructed on AD so that E is on the same side of AD as C. Prove that CE||AB.
|Up| |Contact| |Front page| |Contents| |Geometry|
Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander BogomolnyIn an equilateral triangle ABC, point D lies on BC and an equilateral triangle ADE is constructed on AD so that E is on the same side of AD as C. Prove that CE||AB.
A simple solution requires shifting the view point. Think of ΔADE as obtain not just by any construction but by rotating segment AD 60° counterclockwise. (This is assuming that ΔABC is oriented positively, i.e., AC is obtained from AB by a rotation through 60° in the counterclockwise direction.) It is noteworthy that in both cases the rotation is the same, viz., through 60° in the counterclockwise direction.
Once a rotation came into the picture, let's see what happens to other present elements under this rotation. So, B goes into, say, B' which is C, and C goes into C'. The whole segment BC maps onto the segment B'C',B'C',AD,AE,AB, so that
|Up| |Contact| |Front page| |Contents| |Geometry|
Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny72106168