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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

1173.0. "angular bisector theorem." by COOKIE::MURALI () Tue Jan 02 1990 15:51

    Hello,
    
    I remember studying a theorem that went something like:
    
    Consider a triangle ABC with angular bisector AD. Then prove that
    
    AB/BD = AC/CD.
    
    Is this correct? I have not been able to prove this.
    I dont have a book on geometry handy to check this out.
    
    Murali.
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1173.1Here's my 2 cents worth ...BEEZER::MEGARITYI remember when Rock was youngWed Jan 03 1990 06:1917

Yes, I think you're correct here.  The proof itself is pretty simple.
Just extend BA beyond A to a point E such that CE is parallel to AD. It's 
not difficult to see that angle AEC = angle DAB and angle CAD = angle ACE.
But since angle DAB = angle CAD - because AD is a bisector - this
makes triangle AEC isosceles. Thus AE = AC.

Now if you consider triangle CEB, it not difficult to see that AB/AE = BD/DC,
because AD is parallel to CE. But since AE = AC, we can then say that

	AB/AC = BD/DC

 QED ?

    
    Ian M
1173.2That was good!COOKIE::MURALIWed Jan 03 1990 14:058
    QED ?
    
    Yes. Thanks. 
    
    Since you are good at geometry, how about trying for a proof for the
    pretty theorem in 20.3?!
    
    Murali.