95.

14 Equiangular cyclic and equilateral circumscribed polygons

Author(s): MICHAEL DE VILLIERS
Source: The Mathematical Gazette , March 2011, Vol. 95, No. 532 (March 2011), pp. 102-
107
Published by: The Mathematical Association

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 102 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

5. A. Lobb, Deriving the n th

pp. 109-110.
6. T. Koshy, Lobb's Generalisation of Catalan's parenthesisation problem,
College Mathematics Journal 40 (2009) pp. 99-107.
7. R. M. Dacic, Mersenne numbers and binomial coefficients,
Mathematics Magazine 54 (1981) p. 32.
8. T. Koshy and M. Salmassi, Parity and primality of Catalan numbers,
College Mathematics Journal 37 (2006) pp. 52-53.
THOMAS KOSHY

Department of Mathematics, Framingham State University

Framingham, MA 01701-9101, USA
ZHENGUANG GAO

Department of Computer Science, Framingham State University

Framingham, MA 01701-9101, USA

95.14 Equiangular cyclic and equilateral circumscribe

polygons
"Man muss immer generalisieren." (One should always generalise). -
Karl Jacobi (1804-1851) [1, p. 134].
Some three to four years ago the author discovered the following two
elementary, yet interesting, results with the aid of Sketchpad. These extend
familiar results in high school geometry (for example, for a rectangle and a
rhombus), and would be easily accessible to students at high school and
undergraduate level. The results can also be proved in a number of different
ways.

Theorem 1: A cyclic polygon has all angles equal if, and only if, the
alternate sides are equal. (For n odd, it becomes regular).

Aa

FIGURE 1

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 NOTES 103

Proof. Con
generic exa
since AxAb is common, ZA2A\A6 = ZA5A(tAi (given) and
ZA\A2A^ = ZA(yAsA\ (on same chord AiAf,). Thus, a\ = as.
In exactly the same way it can be shown that a3 = a5 and a\ = a3,
from which it follows that all the odd-numbered sides are equal. Similarly, it
follows from triangle congruency that all the even-numbered sides are also
equal.
Conversely, it also follows that if a convex cyclic hexagon has all the
odd- and even-numbered sides equal, then it has all angles equal. For
example, in Figure 1 triangles AtA2A6 and Afy4sAt remain congruent (AAS),
etc.

However, since the same argument above applies when n is odd, it

obviously follows, by going cyclically round the polygon, that all sides will
be equal (i.e. the polygon becomes regular). Moreover, the arguments
equally apply to crossed cyclic polygons.

Theorem 2: A circumscribed polygon has all sides equal if, and only if, the
alternate angles are equal. (For n odd, it becomes regular).

FIGURE 2

Proof Consider the partially completed equilateral circumscribed hexagon

in Figure 2 as a generic example for n even. Assume that all sides are of
length a. Using the result that the tangents to the circle from a point outside
are equal, label the different segments of the sides x and a - x as shown.
Then triangles A2B\0 and AbB(,0 are congruent (SAS). This implies that the
kites B^AoBjO and B(/i(,B5() are congruent. Thus, Za2 = Za(t. Since there is
an even number of sides, we can, as before, continue in the same manner to
prove that Za2 = Za4 = Za6 and Za{ = Za3 = Za5.
Conversely, it follows similarly that if a convex circumscribed hexagon
has all its alternate angles equal, then all its sides are equal. For example,
one can similarly show that if Za2 = Za6, then the kites B\A2B20 and
B^A^B^O are congruent, etc.

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 104 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

However, since the same argu

obviously follows, by going cycli
will be equal (i.e. the polygon bec
equally apply to crossed circumsc

Side-angle duality
'Symmetry, as wide or as narro
which man through the ages has
beauty and perfection.'
- Hermann Weyl
The above two theorems display
and 'angles'. Though not a gene
nonetheless appears quite often
conjecture new results as mention
In both cases above, when n is o
hence are obviously self-dual w
therefore here look a little more
angle duality of the polygons with
The rectangle and rhombus are
and 2 and display the side-angle d
that the concepts of 'equal' and
since connecting the midpoints
perpendicular diagonals produc
midpoints of the sides of a qua
rhombus.

Rectangle Rhombus

All angles equal All sides equal

Alternate sides equal Alternate angles equal
Circumscribed circle (cyclic) Inscribed circle (circumscribed)
An axis of symmetry through An axis of symmetry through each
each pair of opposite sides pair of opposite angles (vertices)
Diagonals are equal in length Diagonals intersect at equal angles

For n even, some examples of equiangular cyclic polygons are shown in

Figure 3, starting with the special case of a rectangle, and in Figure 4, some
examples of equilateral circumscribed polygons are shown, starting with the
special case of a rhombus. Note that in both figures, k represents the total
turning one would undergo walking around the perimeter of each figure, and
is measured by the number of revolutions undergone.

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 NOTES 105

J 1L
n = 4 k = 1
1 , r

A\ Af,

A5 n = 8 k = \ At A5 w = 8 A: = 3
FIGURE 3

figure 4

Visually, or from accurate construction and measurement with dynamic

geometry software, it is easy to verify that all the side-angle properties for a
rectangle and rhombus in general also hold for equiangular cyclic and
equilateral circumscribed polygons for n even. The duality is further
maintained by the additional property given in the table below.

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106 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

Equiangular cyclic for n even E

Opposite sides equal if n / 2 is ev

Defining and systematising

In order to define mathematical
necessary and sufficient propert
object, and usually our eventu
convenience. One way of defin
circumscribed polygons for n e
results contained in Theorems
cumbersome formulations, and
mentioned in the tables above log
elementary, is not entirely straight
As is the case for rectangles
convenient, elegant definitions fo
let us agree to call them, respec
regular side-gons - would, in t
follows:

Semi-regular Semi-regular
angle-gon sid
'A semi-regular
'A angle-gon is any
semi-regular sid
polygon with polygon
n even and
withannaxis
even
symmetry through
symmetry
each through
pair of
opposite sides'
opposite angles (ve

From these two definitions, it

symmetry that a semi-regular ang
axes of symmetry shows there is
and that by repeated reflections
equal, etc., and likewise for a sem

Notes

1. A dynamic geometry (Sketchp

an equiangular cyclic hexagon an
as well as a respective classificat
cyclic and equilateral circums
downloaded directly from:
http://mysite.mweb.co.za/reside
(Without of a copy of Sketchpad
free demo version of Sketchpad
http://www.keypress.com/sketch
2. Usually an «-gon with a total tu
Schlafli notation {n!k}.

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NOTES 107

References
1. P. Davis and R. Hersh, The Mathematical Experience, Boston:
Birkhauser (1981).
2. M. dc Villiers, Dual generalisations of Van Aubel's theorem, Math.
Gaz., 82 , (November 1998) pp. 405-412.
(Available from http://mzone.mweb.co.za/residents/profmd/aubel2.pdf)

MICHAEL DE VILLIERS

School of Science, Mathematics & Technology Education,

University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
e-mail: profmd@mweb.co.za
http://mzone.mweb.co.za/residents/profmd/homepage.ht

95.15 Proofs by dissection of a dodecagon

Problem: The points T and U lie on the sides QR and RS respecti
square PQRS so that ZQPT = Z.TPU = ZUPS = 30° (see Figure 1).
Prove that

area of triangle PTU= ^ area of square PQRS.

S U R

FIGURE 1

This problem appeared on the Hamilton paper of the 2009 Intermediate

Mathematical Olympiad, set by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. As
candidates demonstrated, there are several different methods of proof, for
example, using trigonometry. However, since the result only concerns areas,
the challenge is to find a proof using a dissection method.
We shall describe a solution which relates the problem to the following
result about the regular dodecagon. As we shall see, this result may be
proved by dissection in more than one way and therefore we have,
indirectly, a dissection proof of the original problem.

Result. Construct a square through eight vertices of a regular dodecagon, as

shown in Figure 2. Then the areas of the square and dodecagon are equal.

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