PlanetMath (more info)
 Math for the people, by the people. Sponsor PlanetMath
Encyclopedia | Requests | Forums | Docs | Wiki | Random | RSS  
Login
create new user
name:
pass:
forget your password?
Main Menu
Owner confidence rating: High Entry average rating: No information on entry rating
[parent] triangle solving (Definition)

Let us consider skew-angled triangles. If one knows three parts of a triangle, among which at least one side, then the other parts may be calculated by using the law of sines and the law of cosines. We distinguish four cases:

  1. ASA. Known two angles and one side, e.g. $ \alpha$, $ \beta$, $ c$. Other parts:

    $\displaystyle \gamma = 180\sp\circ\!-\!(\alpha\!+\!\beta), \quad a = \frac{c\sin\alpha}{\sin\gamma},\quad b = \frac{c\sin\beta}{\sin\gamma}$
    Figure: ASA (angle-side-angle)
    \includegraphics{triangle.1.eps}
  2. SSS. Known all sides $ a$, $ b$, $ c$. The angles are obtained from

    $\displaystyle \cos\alpha = \frac{b^2\!+\!c^2\!-\!a^2}{2bc}, \quad\cos\beta = \frac{c^2\!+\!a^2\!-\!b^2}{2ca}, \quad\cos\gamma = \frac{a^2\!+\!b^2\!-\!c^2}{2ab}.$
    Figure: SSS (side-side-side)
    \includegraphics{triangle.2.eps}
  3. SAS. Known two sides and the angle between them, e.g. $ b$, $ c$, $ \alpha$. Other parts from

    $\displaystyle a^2 = b^2\!+\!c^2\!-\!2bc\cos\alpha, \quad \sin\beta = \frac{b\sin\alpha}{a}, \quad \sin\gamma = \frac{c\sin\alpha}{a}$
    Figure: SAS (side-angle-side)
    \includegraphics{triangle.3.eps}
  4. SSA. Known two sides and the angle opposite of one of them, e.g. $ a$, $ b$, $ \alpha$. Other parts are gotten from

    $\displaystyle \sin\beta = \frac{b\sin\alpha}{a}, \quad \gamma = 180\sp\circ\!-\!(\alpha\!+\!\beta), \quad c = \frac{a\sin\gamma}{\sin\alpha}.$
    Figure: SSA (side-side-angle)
    \includegraphics{triangle.4.eps}

    Since the SSA criterion alone does not prove congruence, it is not surprising that there may not always be a single solution for $ \beta$ here. In fact, if the first equation gives $ \sin\beta > 1$, then the situation is impossible and the triangle does not exist. If the equation gives $ \sin\beta < 1$, one gets two distinct values of $ \beta$; an acute $ \beta_1$ and an obtuse $ \beta_2 = 180\sp\circ-\beta_1$. If in this case $ \beta_1 > \alpha$, then there are two different triangles as solutions, but if $ \beta_1 \le \alpha$, then there is only one triangle.




Anyone with an account can edit this entry. Please help improve it!

"triangle solving" is owned by stevecheng. [ full author list (2) | owner history (1) ]
(view preamble | get metadata)

View style:

See Also: geometric congruence


This object's parent.
Log in to rate this entry.
(view current ratings)

Cross-references: obtuse, acute, equation, solution, congruence, SSA, SAS, SSS, angles, ASA, law of cosines, law of sines, side, triangles
There are 2 references to this entry.

This is version 8 of triangle solving, born on 2006-03-05, modified 2007-03-14.
Object id is 7684, canonical name is TriangleSolving.
Accessed 7679 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC51-00 (Geometry :: General reference works )

Pending Errata and Addenda
None.
Discussion
Style: Expand: Order:
forum policy
Example by stevecheng on 2006-03-06 12:23:08
The source code to the
diagrams in this entry actually uses the cosine law ---
as explained in the case SSS --- to compute
the positions of the labels for the angles.
[ reply | up ]

Interact
post | correct | update request | add derivation | add example | add (any)