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Incircle and excircles
Incircle and excircles
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Incircle and excircles of a triangle.
  Extended sides of triangle ABC
  Incircle (incenter at I)
  Excircles (excenters at JA, JB, JC)
  Internal angle bisectors
  External angle bisectors (forming the excentral triangle)

In geometry, the incircle or inscribed circle of a triangle is the largest circle that can be contained in the triangle; it touches (is tangent to) the three sides. The center of the incircle is a triangle center called the triangle's incenter.[1]

An excircle or escribed circle[2] of the triangle is a circle lying outside the triangle, tangent to one of its sides and tangent to the extensions of the other two. Every triangle has three distinct excircles, each tangent to one of the triangle's sides.[3]

The center of the incircle, called the incenter, can be found as the intersection of the three internal angle bisectors.[3][4] The center of an excircle is the intersection of the internal bisector of one angle (at vertex A, for example) and the external bisectors of the other two. The center of this excircle is called the excenter relative to the vertex A, or the excenter of A.[3] Because the internal bisector of an angle is perpendicular to its external bisector, it follows that the center of the incircle together with the three excircle centers form an orthocentric system.[5]

Incircle and Incenter

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Suppose has an incircle with radius and center . Let be the length of , the length of , and the length of .

Also let , , and be the touchpoints where the incircle touches , , and .

Incenter

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The incenter is the point where the internal angle bisectors of meet.

Trilinear coordinates

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The trilinear coordinates for a point in the triangle is the ratio of all the distances to the triangle sides. Because the incenter is the same distance from all sides of the triangle, the trilinear coordinates for the incenter are[6]

Barycentric coordinates

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The barycentric coordinates for a point in a triangle give weights such that the point is the weighted average of the triangle vertex positions. Barycentric coordinates for the incenter are given by

where , , and are the lengths of the sides of the triangle, or equivalently (using the law of sines) by

where , , and are the angles at the three vertices.

Cartesian coordinates

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The Cartesian coordinates of the incenter are a weighted average of the coordinates of the three vertices using the side lengths of the triangle relative to the perimeter (that is, using the barycentric coordinates given above, normalized to sum to unity) as weights. The weights are positive so the incenter lies inside the triangle as stated above. If the three vertices are located at , , and , and the sides opposite these vertices have corresponding lengths , , and , then the incenter is at[citation needed]

Radius

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The inradius of the incircle in a triangle with sides of length , , is given by[7]

where is the semiperimeter (see Heron's formula).

The tangency points of the incircle divide the sides into segments of lengths from , from , and from (see Tangent lines to a circle).[8]

Distances to the vertices

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Denote the incenter of as .

The distance from vertex to the incenter is:

Derivation of the formula stated above

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Use the Law of sines in the triangle .

We get . We have that .

It follows that .

The equality with the second expression is obtained the same way.

The distances from the incenter to the vertices combined with the lengths of the triangle sides obey the equation[9]

Additionally,[10]

where and are the triangle's circumradius and inradius respectively.

Other properties

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The collection of triangle centers may be given the structure of a group under coordinate-wise multiplication of trilinear coordinates; in this group, the incenter forms the identity element.[6]

Incircle and its radius properties

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Distances between vertex and nearest touchpoints

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The distances from a vertex to the two nearest touchpoints are equal; for example:[11]

Other properties

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If the altitudes from sides of lengths , , and are , , and , then the inradius is one third the harmonic mean of these altitudes; that is,[12]

The product of the incircle radius and the circumcircle radius of a triangle with sides , , and is[13]

Some relations among the sides, incircle radius, and circumcircle radius are:[14]

Any line through a triangle that splits both the triangle's area and its perimeter in half goes through the triangle's incenter (the center of its incircle). There are either one, two, or three of these for any given triangle.[15]

The incircle radius is no greater than one-ninth the sum of the altitudes.[16]: 289 

The squared distance from the incenter to the circumcenter is given by[17]: 232 

and the distance from the incenter to the center of the nine point circle is[17]: 232 

The incenter lies in the medial triangle (whose vertices are the midpoints of the sides).[17]: 233, Lemma 1 

Relation to area of the triangle

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The radius of the incircle is related to the area of the triangle.[18] The ratio of the area of the incircle to the area of the triangle is less than or equal to , with equality holding only for equilateral triangles.[19]

Suppose has an incircle with radius and center . Let be the length of , the length of , and the length of .

Now, the incircle is tangent to at some point , and so is right. Thus, the radius is an altitude of .

Therefore, has base length and height , and so has area .

Similarly, has area and has area .

Since these three triangles decompose , we see that the area is:

     and     

where is the area of and is its semiperimeter.

For an alternative formula, consider . This is a right-angled triangle with one side equal to and the other side equal to . The same is true for . The large triangle is composed of six such triangles and the total area is:[citation needed]

Gergonne triangle and point

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  Triangle ABC
  Incircle (incenter at I)
  Contact triangle TATBTC
  Lines between opposite vertices of ABC and TATBTC (concur at Gergonne point Ge)

The Gergonne triangle (of ) is defined by the three touchpoints of the incircle on the three sides. The touchpoint opposite is denoted , etc.

This Gergonne triangle, , is also known as the contact triangle or intouch triangle of . Its area is

where , , and are the area, radius of the incircle, and semiperimeter of the original triangle, and , , and are the side lengths of the original triangle. This is the same area as that of the extouch triangle.[20]

The three lines , , and intersect in a single point called the Gergonne point, denoted as (or triangle center X7). The Gergonne point lies in the open orthocentroidal disk punctured at its own center, and can be any point therein.[21]

The Gergonne point of a triangle has a number of properties, including that it is the symmedian point of the Gergonne triangle.[22]

Trilinear coordinates for the vertices of the intouch triangle are given by[citation needed]

Trilinear coordinates for the Gergonne point are given by[citation needed]

or, equivalently, by the Law of Sines,

Excircles and excenters

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  Extended sides of ABC
  Incircle (incenter at I)
  Excircles (excenters at JA, JB, JC)
  Internal angle bisectors
  External angle bisectors (forming the excentral triangle)

An excircle or escribed circle[2] of the triangle is a circle lying outside the triangle, tangent to one of its sides, and tangent to the extensions of the other two. Every triangle has three distinct excircles, each tangent to one of the triangle's sides.[3]

The center of an excircle is the intersection of the internal bisector of one angle (at vertex , for example) and the external bisectors of the other two. The center of this excircle is called the excenter relative to the vertex , or the excenter of .[3] Because the internal bisector of an angle is perpendicular to its external bisector, it follows that the center of the incircle together with the three excircle centers form an orthocentric system.[5]

Trilinear coordinates of excenters

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While the incenter of has trilinear coordinates , the excenters have trilinears[citation needed]

Exradii

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The radii of the excircles are called the exradii.

The exradius of the excircle opposite (so touching , centered at ) is[23][24]

where

See Heron's formula.

Derivation of exradii formula

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Source:[23]

Let the excircle at side touch at side extended at , and let this excircle's radius be and its center be . Then is an altitude of , so has area . By a similar argument, has area and has area . Thus the area of triangle is

.

So, by symmetry, denoting as the radius of the incircle,

.

By the Law of Cosines, we have

Combining this with the identity , we have

But , and so

which is Heron's formula.

Combining this with , we have

Similarly, gives

Other properties

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From the formulas above one can see that the excircles are always larger than the incircle and that the largest excircle is the one tangent to the longest side and the smallest excircle is tangent to the shortest side. Further, combining these formulas yields:[25]

Other excircle properties

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The circular hull of the excircles is internally tangent to each of the excircles and is thus an Apollonius circle.[26] The radius of this Apollonius circle is where is the incircle radius and is the semiperimeter of the triangle.[27]

The following relations hold among the inradius , the circumradius , the semiperimeter , and the excircle radii , , :[14]

The circle through the centers of the three excircles has radius .[14]

If is the orthocenter of , then[14]

Nagel triangle and Nagel point

[edit]
  Extended sides of triangle ABC
  Excircles of ABC (tangent at TA. TB, TC)
  Nagel/Extouch triangle TATBTC
  Splitters: lines connecting opposite vertices of ABC and TATBTC (concur at Nagel point N)

The Nagel triangle or extouch triangle of is denoted by the vertices , , and that are the three points where the excircles touch the reference and where is opposite of , etc. This is also known as the extouch triangle of . The circumcircle of the extouch is called the Mandart circle (cf. Mandart inellipse).

The three line segments , and are called the splitters of the triangle; they each bisect the perimeter of the triangle,[citation needed]

The splitters intersect in a single point, the triangle's Nagel point (or triangle center X8).

Trilinear coordinates for the vertices of the extouch triangle are given by[citation needed]

Trilinear coordinates for the Nagel point are given by[citation needed]

or, equivalently, by the Law of Sines,

The Nagel point is the isotomic conjugate of the Gergonne point.[citation needed]

[edit]

Nine-point circle and Feuerbach point

[edit]
The nine-point circle is tangent to the incircle and excircles

In geometry, the nine-point circle is a circle that can be constructed for any given triangle. It is so named because it passes through nine significant concyclic points defined from the triangle. These nine points are:[28][29]

In 1822, Karl Feuerbach discovered that any triangle's nine-point circle is externally tangent to that triangle's three excircles and internally tangent to its incircle; this result is known as Feuerbach's theorem. He proved that:[30]

... the circle which passes through the feet of the altitudes of a triangle is tangent to all four circles which in turn are tangent to the three sides of the triangle ... (Feuerbach 1822)

The triangle center at which the incircle and the nine-point circle touch is called the Feuerbach point.

The incircle may be described as the pedal circle of the incenter. The locus of points whose pedal circles are tangent to the nine-point circle is known as the McCay cubic.

Incentral and excentral triangles

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The points of intersection of the interior angle bisectors of with the segments , , and are the vertices of the incentral triangle. Trilinear coordinates for the vertices of the incentral triangle are given by[citation needed]

The excentral triangle of a reference triangle has vertices at the centers of the reference triangle's excircles. Its sides are on the external angle bisectors of the reference triangle (see figure at top of page). Trilinear coordinates for the vertices of the excentral triangle are given by[citation needed]

Equations for four circles

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Let be a variable point in trilinear coordinates, and let , , . The four circles described above are given equivalently by either of the two given equations:[31]: 210–215 

  • Incircle:
  • -excircle:
  • -excircle:
  • -excircle:

Euler's theorem

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Euler's theorem states that in a triangle:

where and are the circumradius and inradius respectively, and is the distance between the circumcenter and the incenter.

For excircles the equation is similar:

where is the radius of one of the excircles, and is the distance between the circumcenter and that excircle's center.[32][33][34]

Generalization to other polygons

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Some (but not all) quadrilaterals have an incircle. These are called tangential quadrilaterals. Among their many properties perhaps the most important is that their two pairs of opposite sides have equal sums. This is called the Pitot theorem.[35]

More generally, a polygon with any number of sides that has an inscribed circle (that is, one that is tangent to each side) is called a tangential polygon.

Generalization to topological triangles

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If you consider topological triangles, you can also define a notion of inscribed circle that fits inside. It is no longer described as tangent to all sides since your topological triangle might not be differentiable everywhere. Rather it is defined as a circle whose center has the same minimal distance to each side. Its a proven fact that an inscribed circle always exists in any topological triangle[36].


See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
In , the incircle of a is the unique that lies inside the and is tangent to all three of its sides, with its center known as the , which is the intersection point of the 's angle bisectors. The excircles, in contrast, are three distinct , each lying outside the and tangent to one side and to the extensions of the other two sides, with their centers called excenters, formed by the intersection of one internal angle bisector and two external angle bisectors. These are fundamental in , providing insights into tangency points, radii calculations, and related concurrency points. The radius of the incircle, termed the inradius ([r](/page/R)[r](/page/R)), is given by the [r](/page/R)=A/s[r](/page/R) = A / s, where AA is the area of the and ss is its semiperimeter (s=(a+b+c)/2s = (a + b + c)/2, with aa, bb, cc as side lengths). For the excircles, the radii (exradii) are ra=A/(sa)r_a = A / (s - a), rb=A/(sb)r_b = A / (s - b), and rc=A/(sc)r_c = A / (s - c), each corresponding to the excircle opposite vertex AA, BB, or CC, respectively. The area of the can also be expressed as A=rsA = r \cdot s, highlighting the incircle's role in area computations, while the sum of the exradii satisfies ra+rb+rcr=4Rr_a + r_b + r_c - r = 4R, where RR is the circumradius. Notable properties include the tangency points of the incircle forming the contact triangle, whose cevians concur at the Gergonne point, and the excircle tangency points concurring at the Nagel point. The incircle is tangent to the of the . These elements extend to applications in tangential polygons and advanced centers, underscoring their importance in .

Incircle and Incenter

Definition of Incircle and Incenter

The incircle of a is the unique that lies entirely within the triangle and is to all three sides. It is also known as the inscribed circle and represents the largest circle that can fit inside the triangle while touching each side at exactly one point. This circle is a fundamental element in , providing insights into the triangle's internal structure and properties. The center of the incircle, termed the , is the point of concurrency of the triangle's three angle bisectors. Each angle bisector divides the corresponding angle into two equal parts, and their intersection forms the incenter, which is equidistant from all three sides; this common distance is the inradius. The incenter thus serves as the geometric center of the incircle and plays a key role in various constructions and theorems related to . The concepts of the incircle and incenter were first explored by mathematicians, with formalizing their properties in his Elements around 300 BCE. These early studies emphasized the incircle's role in balancing tangential contacts and area computations. For a triangle with side lengths aa, bb, and cc opposite vertices AA, BB, and CC respectively, the semiperimeter is defined as s=a+b+c2s = \frac{a + b + c}{2}. The points where the incircle touches the sides divide each side into two segments: the lengths of the tangents from vertex AA to the points of tangency on sides ABAB and ACAC are both sas - a; similarly, from BB they are sbs - b, and from CC they are scs - c. This equal-tangent property ensures the incircle's balanced positioning and aids in visualizing its placement relative to the 's vertices.

Coordinate Representations of Incenter

The incenter of a triangle can be precisely located using various coordinate systems, each offering distinct advantages for geometric computations and proofs. These systems include trilinear, barycentric, and Cartesian coordinates, which facilitate the analysis of the incenter's position relative to the triangle's vertices and sides. In trilinear coordinates, the incenter is represented as (1:1:1). These coordinates are homogeneous, meaning they are defined up to scalar multiplication, and they correspond to the signed distances from the point to the triangle's sides, normalized relative to the side lengths. For the incenter, the equal distances to all three sides (equal to the inradius) result in this symmetric form, making trilinear coordinates particularly suited for problems involving perpendicular distances and cevian intersections. Barycentric coordinates provide another homogeneous representation of the incenter as (a:b:c), where a, b, and c denote the lengths of the sides opposite vertices A, B, and C, respectively. This form arises from the relation between trilinear and barycentric systems: the barycentric coordinates are obtained by multiplying the trilinear coordinates by the corresponding side lengths, yielding (a·1 : b·1 : c·1) = (a:b:c). The derivation stems from viewing the incenter as the center of mass of the triangle's vertices weighted by the opposite side lengths, reflecting the balance achieved at the intersection of the angle bisectors. Specifically, if A, B, and C are the position vectors of the vertices, the incenter I satisfies I = (aA + bB + cC) / (a + b + c). In Cartesian coordinates, assuming the triangle has vertices A(x_A, y_A), B(x_B, y_B), and C(x_C, y_C), the incenter's position is given by Ix=axA+bxB+cxCa+b+c,Iy=ayA+byB+cyCa+b+c.I_x = \frac{a x_A + b x_B + c x_C}{a + b + c}, \quad I_y = \frac{a y_A + b y_B + c y_C}{a + b + c}. This formula directly extends the barycentric representation to , allowing for numerical computation and visualization in a plane. Each coordinate system has specific computational benefits: excel in derivations involving side distances and homogeneous properties, barycentric coordinates are advantageous for and affine-invariant calculations (such as balancing cevians in the example with weights proportional to side lengths), while Cartesian coordinates are ideal for direct metric computations and plotting in standard software.

Inradius Formula and Derivation

The inradius rr of a is the of its incircle, which touches all three sides internally. It is given by the formula r=Asr = \frac{A}{s}, where AA is the area of the triangle and s=a+b+c2s = \frac{a + b + c}{2} is the semiperimeter, with aa, bb, and cc denoting the side lengths. To derive this formula, consider the II, the center of the incircle. The points of tangency divide the sides into segments equal to the tangent lengths from each vertex. The triangle's area AA can be decomposed into the three smaller triangles formed by connecting II to the vertices: AIB\triangle AIB, BIC\triangle BIC, and CIA\triangle CIA. However, a more straightforward approach uses the tangential regions: the area is the sum of the areas of three right triangles (or sectors in a limiting sense, but precisely via perpendiculars) from II to each side. Each such region has rr (the from II to the side) and base equal to the side length, yielding A=12ra+12rb+12rc=r(a+b+c2)=rs.A = \frac{1}{2} r a + \frac{1}{2} r b + \frac{1}{2} r c = r \left( \frac{a + b + c}{2} \right) = r s. Solving for rr gives r=Asr = \frac{A}{s}. This derivation relies on the property that the incircle is tangent to all sides, ensuring equal perpendicular distances. An alternative expression for the inradius is r=(sa)tanA2r = (s - a) \tan \frac{A}{2}, where AA is the angle at vertex AA opposite side aa. To derive this, note that the lengths of the tangents from vertex AA to the points of tangency on sides ABAB and ACAC are both sas - a. The angle bisector from AA passes through II, splitting A\angle A into two equal angles of A2\frac{A}{2}. Consider the right formed by vertex AA, the point of tangency on ABAB, and the foot of the from II to ABAB: the adjacent side to A2\frac{A}{2} is sas - a, and the opposite side is rr, so tanA2=rsa\tan \frac{A}{2} = \frac{r}{s - a}, hence r=(sa)tanA2r = (s - a) \tan \frac{A}{2}. Similar expressions hold for the other angles. This relation A=rsA = r s integrates historically with for the area, A=s(sa)(sb)(sc)A = \sqrt{s(s - a)(s - b)(s - c)}
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