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First Brocard Triangle


FirstBrocardTriangle

The first Brocard triangle of a triangle DeltaA_1A_2A_3 has vertices B_1, B_2, and B_3, where B_1 is the intersection of A_2Omega and A_3Omega^', Omega and Omega^' are the Brocard points, and B_2 and B_3 are defined similarly. It is inversely similar to DeltaA_1A_2A_3 (Honsberger 1995, p. 112) and is inscribed in the Brocard circle.

The trilinear vertex matrix is

 [abc c^3 b^3; c^3 abc a^3; b^3 a^3 abc].
(1)

It has signed area

 Delta^'=-(a^4-a^2b^2+b^4-a^2c^2-b^2c^2+c^4)/((a^2+b^2+c^2)^2)Delta,
(2)

where Delta is the area of the reference triangle, and side lengths

a^'=(sqrt(a^4-a^2b^2+b^4-a^2c^2-b^2c^2+c^4))/(a^2+b^2+c^2)a
(3)
b^'=(sqrt(a^4-a^2b^2+b^4-a^2c^2-b^2c^2+c^4))/(a^2+b^2+c^2)b
(4)
c^'=(sqrt(a^4-a^2b^2+b^4-a^2c^2-b^2c^2+c^4))/(a^2+b^2+c^2)c,
(5)

where a, b, and c are the side lengths of the reference triangle.

If Delta_B is the unsigned area of the first Brocard triangle and Delta_K is the area of the pedal triangle of the symmedian point K, then

 Delta_B+Delta_K=Delta/4.
(6)

Morel (1883, §35, pp. 195-196) gives the individual areas as

Delta_B=Delta/4(1-3tan^2omega)
(7)
Delta_K=(3Delta)/4tan^2omega,
(8)

where omega is the Brocard angle.

The triangle median from A_i bisects the line segment KB_i, where K is the symmedian point and B_i is the corresponding vertex of the first Brocard triangle (Morel 1883, §26, pp. 171-172).

The following table gives the centers of the first Brocard triangle in terms of the centers of the reference triangle for Kimberling centers X_n with n<=100.

The triangles DeltaB_1A_2A_3, DeltaB_2A_3A_1, and DeltaB_3A_1A_2 are isosceles triangles with base angles omega, where omega is the Brocard angle. The sum of the areas of the isosceles triangles is Delta, the area of triangle DeltaA_1A_2A_3.

FirstBrocardTrianglePerspective

The first Brocard triangle is in perspective with DeltaA_1A_2A_3 with perspector at the third Brocard point Omega^('') of DeltaA_1A_2A_3.

FirstBrocardTrianglePerp

Let perpendiculars be drawn from the midpoints M_1, M_2, and M_3 of each side of the first Brocard triangle to the opposite sides of the triangle DeltaA_1A_2A_3. Then the extensions of these lines concur in the nine-point center N of DeltaA_1A_2A_3 (Honsberger 1995, pp. 116-118).

BrocardTrianglesPerspectiveCentroid

The first and second Brocard triangles are in perspective with perspector at the triangle centroid G of DeltaA_1A_2A_3.

FirstBrocardTriangleCentroids

The triangle centroid of the first Brocard triangle DeltaB_1B_2B_3 is also the triangle centroid G of the original triangle DeltaA_1A_2A_3 (Honsberger 1995, pp. 112-116).

Among the 36 cataloged six-piece triangle dissections of a generic non-right triangle into similar triangles, nine have their interior junction at a vertex of the first Brocard triangle. They form three groups of three cyclically related layouts. Each group uses the same three straight-through cuts as the three layouts whose junction is the symmedian point. These cuts are parallel to the sides and pass through the symmedian point, so their six endpoints lie on the first Lemoine circle. In three of the nine first-Brocard layouts, all four boundary cut points lie on that circle (E. Pegg, Jr., pers. comm., Oct. 3, 2026).


See also

Brocard Angle, Brocard Triangles, D-Triangle, First Lemoine Circle, Pedal Triangle, Second Brocard Triangle, Symmedian Point, Third Brocard Triangle, Triangle Dissection

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References

Gallatly, W. The Modern Geometry of the Triangle, 2nd ed. London, England: Hodgson, p. 100, 1913.Gibert, B. "Brocard Triangles." http://bernard-gibert.fr/gloss/brocardtriangles.html.Honsberger, R. "The Brocard Triangles." §10.4 in Episodes in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Euclidean Geometry. Washington, DC: Math. Assoc. Amer., pp. 110-118, 1995.Morel, A. "Étude sur le cercle de Brocard." Journal de mathématiques élémentaires (2) 2, 10-15, 33-37, 62-66, 97-103, 169-176, and 195-201, 1883. https://archive.org/details/s2journaldemathm02pari. Pegg, E. Jr. Mathematical Games. Episode 46: "Sporadic Similar Triangles." Oct. 22, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp7mOio0ef0.

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First Brocard Triangle

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "First Brocard Triangle." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/FirstBrocardTriangle.html

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