Distance from a Line, or Plane, to a Poin

Author(s): J. P. Ballantine and A. R. Jerbert

Source: The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Apr., 1952), pp. 242-243
Published by: Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2306514
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 CLASSROOM NOTES
EDITED BY G. B. THOMAS, MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology
All material
forthisdepartmentshouldbesenttoG. B. Thomas,Department
ofMathe-
matics,Massachusetts
Institute
of Technology,
Cambridge 39, Mass.
DISTANCE FROM A LINE, OR PLANE, TO A POINT*
J. P. BALLANTINE and A. R. JERBERT, University
ofWashington

""'8

IAI

IBI
To find the perpendicular distance from the line Ax+By+C=O, to the
point P(x1, yO),we begin by computingthe y-distance,
(1) MP= Yl-y2 = y - (-Axi-C)/B = (Ax, + Byl + C)/B,
where Y2 is the y-value obtained by substitutingx=xl in the equation of the
line. Since the y and x interceptsof the latter are in the ratio (-CB)(- C/A)
=A/B, the intercept triangle has sides proportionalto IA, |B A2+B2. |
MRP is evidentlya similar triangleso that,
RP/MP = B I //A2 + B2,
whence,

d =RP=- -MP
VA2 + B2
B (Ax, + By,+C) by equation (1),
BV/A2 + B2

+ + Cl
(2) Axi Byi (signum B =
B I /B).
(signum B)V-\A2+ B2
Any KOO, which is multipliedinto the coefficients A, B, C of the equation
of the line evidently "divides out" of the factorsin the rightmemberof equa-
tion (2). These factorsand theirproduct d are thereforeinvariant under such a
multiplication.The second factorMP, yields + and - values forpoints above
and below the line, respectively,and this remains true for d since the first
factor, I B V\A2+B2, is always positive.
* Thispaperis basedon Professor
J.P. Ballantine'streatmentofthedistanceformttlaon page
235 ofhisbookEssentialsofEngineeringMathematics, publishedby PrenticeHall, 1938.
242

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1952] CLASSROOM NOTES 243

In three dimensions the x, y, and z distances from the plane Aix+A2y

+A3z+A4=O, to the point P(xi, yi, zi) are given by the expressions,
(Aix,+ A2y1+ A3z1+ A4)/A, i = 1, 2, 3,
respectively.To obtain the perpendiculardistance we multiplyby the cosine
of the acute angle between the chosen axis and the normal to the plane, i.e. by
lAsl//A/ T+A2+A2. Thus, as before,
d = (Aix,+ A2y1+ A3z1+ A4)/(signum + A2+ A .
Ai)VA\A
In this manner d is + or - according as the point P is rightor left,frontor
back, above or below, the plane, respectively.

A SIMPLE PROOF OF THE BINOMIAL THEOREM

Davis
of California,
C. M. FULTON,University
As most mathematicsteachers know fromexperience,our freshmanstudents
findthe usual formalproofof the binomial theoremhard to understand.In this
proofwhose simplicity,we feel,will speak foritself.
paper we presenta different
The tool forour proofwill be the easily proven identity
(1) an - bn = (a - b)(an-1 + an-2b + + bn-)

We use it firstto write

+ - (1 + y)n
(2) x)n

( ) ~= (x - y) [ (1 + x)8n-1 + (1+ X)8n-2( + y) + ***+ (1+ y)n-1]

Now, the studentswill grant the validity of the expansion

(3) (1 + x) n = 1 + C1X+ C2X+ * * * + n.nX
withcoefficientsX, to be determined,n being a positive integer.We can express
the left side of (2) with the aid of (3) and apply (1) to the differencesof like
powers. Thus,
( (1 + X)8 - (1 + y)n = (X - y) [nC1 + nC2(X + y) + nC3(X2 + Xy + y2)
+ .*.*+ nCn(xn-1 + xn-2y + . . . + yn-1)]

We now equate the rightsides of (2) and (4) canceling the common factor
x - y. In the resultingidentityit is still permissibleto make x = y. Hence,
(5) n(1 + X)8 1 = nCl + 2nC2x+ 3nC3x2+ * + n
nCnxn1.
On the other hand, because of (3), we also have
(6) n(1 + X)8 1 = n(1 + n-1C1X + n 1C2x2+ * + n-lcn-1 ).
On comparingthe rightsides of (5) and (6) we see that nCl = n. Then necessar-
ofx are equal we findnext nC2= n(n - 1)/2.
ily n-1C,= n-1. Since the coefficients

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