Torricelli's Method of finding a Steiner Point

created by philihp
(idea) by philihp (11.2 mon) (print)   (I like it!) 1 C! Tue Sep 25 2001 at 0:37:50
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C·                   ·B
Pierre de Fermat first gave the problem, "Find the point in a triangle where the sum of its distances to the three vertices is minimal". Torricelli is credited with being the first to find a solution to this problem.

Torricelli's Method Begins by making the equilateral triangle of 2 of the 3 points and X, where angle AC intersects XC at C, and AB intersects XB at B.
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Circumscribe a circle containing points C, B, and X (no, i'm not about to try and draw all of this in ascii).
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          _____              
   _.--`"¯     ¯"`._ 
C·`                 `·B 
                     






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Point S exists where line AX intersects the circle containing points CBX.
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      \   
      \ 
       \  _____              
   _.--·"¯     ¯"`._ 
C·`    \S           `·B 
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        \       
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         \ 
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          \
          ·X
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