THE CROSSPOINT

FRANCISCO JAVIER GARCÍA CAPITÁN

Abstract. We study some loci related to the construction known

as crosspoint of two given points.

Proposition 1. Let ABC triangle and P, Q two points with cevian tri-
angles A0B 0C 0 and A00B 00C 00. We consider the three intersection points
A000 = AQ ∩ B 0C 0, B 000 = BQ ∩ C 0A0, C 000 = CQ ∩ A0 B 0. Then the
triangles A0B 0C 0 and A000B 000C 000 are perspective.
A

C''
B'
C' A'''
S B''
C'''
P
B''' Q

B A' A'' C
Solution. In homogeneous barycentric coordinates, if P = (u : v : w)
and Q = (x : y : z) then lines A0A000, B 0B 000 and C 0 C 000 concur at the
point
S = (ux(wy + vz) : vy(wx + uz) : wz(vx + uy)) ,
known as crosspoint of the points P and Q.
Remark. From the coordinates of S it is obvious that crosspoint is
a symmetric function of P and Q, that is the crosspoint of Q and P is
the same as the crosspoint of P and Q.
Proposition 2. If P = (u : v : w), then the locus of Q = (x : y : z)
such that the crosspoint of P and Q is infinite is the conic Γ(P ) with
equation
u(v + w)yz + v(w + u)zx + w(u + v)xy = 0.

Date: December 10, 2019.

1
2 FRANCISCO JAVIER GARCÍA CAPITÁN

Remark. The conic Γ(P ) is the circumconic with center the comple-
ment P ∗ of P , that is the point P ∗ such that P G : GP ∗ = 2 : 1. If
P = (u : v : w) then P ∗ = (v + w : w + u : u + v).
C''

C'''
A

C'
B' Q
P A'''
B''
B'''
P*

B A' C A''

Now we are interested in when the crosspoint of P and Q lies on any

line L.
Proposition 3. Let ABC a triangle, P a point and L the trilinear
polar of some point M. Then the locus of points Q for which the
crosspoint of P and Q lies on L is the circumconic with perspector
the crosspoint of P and M.

A
Q
S
C'
B'
T M L
P

B A' C

In the figure above, ABC is a triangle, M and P are given points, L

is the trilinear polar of M and T is the crosspoint of P and M. Then,
for any point Q on the circumconic with perspector T , the crosspoint
of S of P and Q lies on L.
 THE CROSSPOINT 3

When M = G is the centroid, L becomes the line at infinity and

Proposition 3 becomes Proposition 2.
Open questions
(1) If P = (u : v : w) is a point and L : px + qy + rz = 0 is a line,
the locus of points Q = (x : y : z) such that the crosspoint of
P and Q lie on line L is the conic with equation
X
(−pu + qv + rw)v 2w2 x2 − 2pu3 vwyz = 0.


cyclic

How can we describe this conic?

(2) If P = (u : v : w) is any point and Q moves on the circumcircle,
the locus of the crosspoint of P and Q is the line
X
(c2uv + b2 uw − a2vw)vwx = 0.
cyclic

How can we describe this line?

Remark. When P lies on the circumcircle, this line is the
tangent at P .
(3) If P = (u : v : w) and Q = (x : y : z), the locus of Q such that
the crosspoint lies on the circumcircle is the isotomic conjugate
of the conic
uvw(ua2x2 + vb2y 2 + wc2 z 2 )
+(c2 uv + b2 uw + a2vw)(vwyz + wuzx + uvxy) = 0.
How can we describe this conic?