When vectors shoot at the Centres of a Triangle ….

Yue Kwok Choy

1. Introduction

Centroid(G) Orthocentre (H) Circumcentre (O) In-centre (I) Ex-centres (E1, E2, E3)
(重心) (垂心) (外接圓心) (內接圓心) (外心)

This article aims to find the vector forms of five classical centres of a triangle. It is assumed that the reader has learned a
basic course of vector algebra. We use A , B, C to denote the position vectors OA, OB, OC of the three vertices of the
triangle. Similarly, we use X to denote the position vector OX of any point X. We use unbold italic A, B, C to denote the
angles of the triangle ABC and a, b, c the length of the sides opposite to the angles A, B, C respectively.

2. Centroid (G) (Refer to Figure 1)

BC
Since BD : DC = 1 : 1, we have D
2
Since AG : GD = 2 : 1, we have
BC
A 2
A  2D 2  A B C …. (1)
G 
3 3 3

Figure 1
3. Some preliminary results : (Refer to Figure 2, 3 below)

(a) OH  OA  OB  OC , where Orthocentre (H), Circum-centre (O)

Proof
We get around the problem a bit. We suppose OH  OA  OB  OC and then show that H is the orthocenter.
Since O is the circum-centre, OA  OB  OC …. (2)

AH  OH  OA  OA  OB  OC  OA  OB  OC  …. (3)
and BC  OC  OB
 
AH  BC  OB  OC  OC  OB  OC   2
 OB
2
0 , , by (2)
 AH  BC , similarly BH  CA, CH  AB

 H is the orthocenter.
If we can take the circum-centre (O) as origin and we simply write H = A + B + C

(b) AH tan A  BH tan B  CH tan C  0

Let R be the radius of the circum-circle. By (3),

AH
2
 OB  OC
2
  
 OB  OC  OB  OC  OB  2
 OC
2
 2OB  OC

 R  R  2 R cos 2 A ,  at centre twice  at circumference

2 2
 OB  OC  2 OB OC cos BOC 2 2 2

 2 R 2 1  cos 2 A  2 R 2  2 cos 2 A   2 R cos A

2
2
 AH  AH  2 R cos A

For simplicity, we take A, B, C to be acute angles. Same result can be got with obtuse angle. (note 1)
 AH  2 R cos A, BH  2 R cos B, CH  2 R cos C …. (4)
Since AH , BH , CH are non-parallel, we can let
 AH   BH   CH  0 , where , ,  are constants.

We then form a triangle with sides :

WV   AH , VU   BH , UW   CH

Note that WV // AH , VU // BH , UW // CH

By comparing the right diagrams of Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 2

U = BHR = 180o – ( BH , CH ) = 180o – QHR = A
 Similarly, V = B, W = C
 AH  BH  CH
By sine law on UVW,    2 R1 ,
sin U sin V sin W

where R1 is the radius of circum-circle enclosing UVW.

  2 R cos A   2 R cos B    2 R cos C  Figure 3

By (4),    2 R1
sin A sin B sin C
R1 R R
 tan A,   1 tan B,   1 tan C and  AH   BH   CH  0
R R R
 AH tan A  BH tan B  CH tan C  0 …. (5)

4. Orthocentre (H)

Since from (5), OH  OA tan A  OH  OB  tan B  OH  OC  tan C  0
A tan A  B tan B  C tan C
Solving, OH  OA tan A  OB tan B  OC tan C or H  …. (6)
tan A  tan B  tan C tan A  tan B  tan C
A a sec A  B  b sec B   C  c sec C 
Reader may check similar result, H  …. (7)
a sec A  b sec B  c sec C
The above results (6) and (7) are good even if O is not the cirum-centre, but any assigned origin.

5. Circum-centre (O) (Refer to Figure 2, 4)

We still take O to be the circum-centre but with respect to any origin X .

We like to show that OA sin 2 A  OB sin 2 B  OC sin 2C  0 first .
We use the same technique as before and take  OA   OB   OC  0 .

We can form a triangle UVW with sides WV   OA, VU   OB, UW   OC Figure 4

U = 180o – ( OB, OC ) = 180o – BOC = 180o – 2 A ,  at centre twice  at
circumference.
Similarly, V = 180o – 2 B , W = 180o – 2 C

By sine law on UVW,

 OA  OB  OC
   2 R1 , where R1 is the radius of circum-circle enclosing UVW.
sin U sin V sin W

R R R 2R 2R 2R
   2 R1   sin 2 A,   sin 2 B,   sin 2C
sin 2 A sin 2 B sin 2C R1 R1 R1
Since  OA   OB   OC  0 , therefore OA sin 2 A  OB sin 2 B  OC sin 2C  0

Now,  XA  XO  sin 2 A   XB  XO  sin 2 B   XC  XO  sin 2C  0

XA sin 2 A  XB sin 2 B  XC sin 2C A sin 2 A  B sin 2 B  C sin 2C
XO  or simply O …. (8)
sin 2 A  sin 2 B  sin 2C sin 2 A  sin 2 B  sin 2C
A a cos A  B  b cos B   C  c cos C 
O
The reader may check similar result: a cos A  b cos B  c cos C …. (9)

6. In-centre (I) (Refer to Figure 5 , 6)

We like to show that a IA  b IB  c IC  0 first . We use the same technique as before and take
 IA   IB   IC  0 .
We can form a triangle UVW with sides
WV   IA, VU   IB, UW   IC .

U = 180 – ( IB, IC ) = t + u
o

V = 180o – ( IA, IB ) = u + s
W = 180o – ( IC, IA ) = s + t
 IA  IB  IC
By sine law on UVW,    2 R1 ,
sin U sin V sin W

where R1 is the radius of circum-circle enclosing UVW. Figure 5

 r r r
  
sin s  sin t  sin u  2 R , where r is the radius of the in-circle.
sin  t  u  sin  u  s  sin  s  t 
1

sin s sin  t  u   1 sin s sin  90  s   1 sin s cos s  1 sin 2s

2 R1 2R 2R R
 
r r r r
R1 R
Similarly,   sin 2t ,   1 sin 2u .
r r
 IA   IB   IC  0   sin 2 s  IA   sin 2t  IB   sin 2u  IC  0

 sin 2 s   sin 2t   sin 2u  Figure 6

 a  IA  b  IB  c  IC  0
 a   b   c 
 sin 2s   sin 2t   sin 2u 
 a IA  b IB  c IC  0,     , by sine law on ABC.
 a   b   c 
    
 a OA  OI  b OB  OI  c OB  OI  0 ,  O is any origin .
aOA  bOB  cOC aA  bB  cC
 OI  or simply I …. (10)
abc abc

7. Ex-centres (E1 , E2 , E3)

With similar method of proofs, the three ex-centres, formed by angle bisectors of exterior angles, can be found:
 aA  bB  cC aA  bB  cC aA  bB  cC
E1  , E2  , E3  …. (11)
abc a bc abc

Note :
(1) For more detailed results and discussions, please refer to my site: http://www.qc.edu.hk/math/index.htm .
(2) The author would like to thank Ms. Chan Lap-lin, Head of the Department of Mathematics at Queen's College, for her careful
proof-reading,