NOTES 161

The sum of the areas of all triangles after k cycles have been added is
6k
A + ∑ i2
i =1

= A + (36A1 + A) + (36A1 + 36A2 + A) +… + (36A1 + 36A2 + … +36Ak + A) .

6k
So ∑ i 2 − kA is a multiple of 36, as required.
i =1
We leave it to the reader to show that an alternative graphical
interpretation of the diagram reveals that it represents (1) in this form:
6 [ (k − 1)T12 + (k − 2) (T18 − T6) + (k − 3) (T24 − T12) + … + (T6k − T6(k − 2)))] ,
where Tm = 12 m (m + 1).
From the standard formula for the sum of the first n consecutive squares
we find that (1) is given by 18k [ k (4k + 1) − 5] .
An examination of parity confirms the result obtained graphically.
10.1017/mag.2020.21 PAUL STEPHENSON
Böhmerstraße 66, 45144 Essen, Germany
e-mail: pstephenson1@me.com

104.07 An inequality for the altitudes of the excentral triangle

The excentral triangle and the inequality
The excentral triangle of a triangle ABC is the triangle formed by the
excentres IA, IB, IC of ABC. These are the centres of the excircles, the circles
touching one side of the triangle internally and the other two externally. See
Figure 1.

IA
C
IB
I

A B

IC

FIGURE 1: Excentral triangle

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Karolinska Institutet University Library, on 02 Mar 2020 at 18:40:16, subject to the
Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/mag.2020.22
 162 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

The angles of IAIBIC are 12 (π − A), 12 (π − B), 12 (π − C) and its

altitudes are IAA, IBB, ICC. The orthocentre of IAIBIC is I, the incentre of
ABC. In triangle IAIBIC, the angle bisectors wa, wb, wc of ABC are segments
of the altitudes of IAIBIC and for their sum the following inequality in terms
of the circumradius R and inradius r of ABC is well-known [1]
9r ≤ wa + wb + wc ≤ 3 (R + r) .
Also known is the inequality [2], [3, 12.2] for the smaller segments
6r ≤ AI + BI + CI ≤ 2 (R + r) . (1)
It is therefore desirable to have a lower and an upper bound for the sum of
AIA, BIB, CIC in terms of the circumradius R and inradius r of ABC as well.
In this Note we will prove the new elegant inequality, given in

Theorem 1: For the altitudes AIA, BIB, CIC of the excentral triangle IAIBIC of
a triangle ABC there holds the inequality
4R + 10r ≤ AIA + BIB + CIC ≤ 8R + 2r. (2)
Proof: The right-hand side of (2) is relatively straightforward to prove. The
excentral triangle IAIBIC is acute; for an acute triangle ABC with othocentre
H the inequality [2, 11.12]
AH + BH + CH ≤ 3R (3)
holds. This follows from AH + BH + CH = 2 (R + r) for an acute
triangle, and Euler's inequality R ≥ 2r [3]. It is known [4, 5, 6] that the
nine-point circle of the excentral triangle is the circumcircle of ABC and
hence the circumradius of IAIBIC is 2R. Therefore (3) applied to the acute
excentral triangle gives
IIA + IIB + IIC ≤ 6R. (4)
By partitioning the altitudes in two parts, by (1) and (4) we obtain

∑ AIA = ∑ AI + ∑ IIA
≤ 2 (R + r) + 6R = 8R + 2r
and that is the right-hand side of (2).
The lower bound in (2) is rather intricate to establish. We will need the
known trigonometric identities
R+ r
cos A + cos B + cos C = ,
R
a2 + b2 + c2 s2 − r (4R + r)
cot A + cot B + cot C = = ,
4 2
where s is the semiperimeter of ABC with sides a, b, c and  = rs is its
area. The key inequality that we will use is
1 1 1 s2 + 4Rr + 19r 2
+ + ≥ . (5)
a b c 4 (R + r)

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Karolinska Institutet University Library, on 02 Mar 2020 at 18:40:16, subject to the
Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/mag.2020.22
 NOTES 163

It is a consequence of the sophisticated Gerretsen's inequality [7]

s2 ≥ r (16R − 5r). Indeed, by the identity ab + bc + ca = s2 + 4Rr + r 2 and
abc = 4R, after simple calculation we see that
1 ab + bc + ca s2 + 4Rr + 19r 2
∑a =
4R
≥
4 (R + r)
.

is equivalent to s2 ≥ 14Rr − r 2, which follows from Gerretsen's inequality

and Euler's inequality as
s2 ≥ r (16R − 5r ) ≥ 14Rr − r 2.
The length of the altitude of IAIBIC through A is [5]
s
AIA = . (6)
cos 12 A
Finally, by the Law of sines and by the simple inequality
sin 12 A ≥ 12 (cosB + cosC), using the identities and the inequality (5), we get
s sin 12 A
∑ AIA = ∑ cos 12 A = 4Rs ∑ a
R+r
cos B + cos C − cos A
≥ 2Rs ∑ a
= 2Rs ∑ R
a
⎡ ⎤
R+ r 1 1
= 2Rs ⎢ ∑ a − 2R ∑ cot A⎥
⎢ R ⎥
⎣ ⎦
⎡ s2 + 4Rr + 19r 2 s2 − r (4R + r) ⎤⎥
≥ 2Rs ⎢⎢ − ⎥
⎣ 4R 4R ⎦
= 4R + 10r,
which proves the left-hand side of (2).

As a simple corollary of (2), we can complement the inequality (4).

There holds
2R + 8r ≤ IIA + IIB + IIC ≤ 6R. (7)
By the left-hand side of (2) and the right-hand side of (1), we have

∑ IIA = ∑ AIA − ∑ AI
≥ 4R + 10r − 2 (R + r) = 2R + 8r.

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Karolinska Institutet University Library, on 02 Mar 2020 at 18:40:16, subject to the
Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/mag.2020.22
 164 THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

It is obvious for the upper bound. To prove that the lower bound is sharper
as well, we use Blundon's inequality [7, 9] s ≤ 2R + (3 3 − 4) r . With
this inequality and Euler's inequality R ≥ 2r, we get
s ≤ 2R + (3 3 − 4) r = 2R + ( 3 − 4) r + 2 3r

≤ 3 ( R2 + 2r) ,
4s
which is equivalent to ≤ 2R + 8r .
3
We end this Note with one question and one conjecture. We ask for a
geometric proof of the left-hand side of (2) like the one we give for the
right-hand side. The conjecture is that the lower bound 4R + 10r for
AIA + BIB + CIC in (2) is sharp and cannot be strengthened by 5R + 8r .

References
1. F. Leuenberger, Problem E 1573, Amer. Math. Monthly 71 (1963)
p. 331; solution by L. Carlitz, ibid. 72 (1964) pp. 93-94.
2. M. Lukarevski, An inequality arising from the inarc centres of a
triangle, Math. Gaz. 103 (November 2019) pp. 538-541.
3. O. Bottema, R. Z. Djordjevic, R. R. Janic, D. S. Mitrinovic, P. M.
Vasic, Geometric inequalities., Wolters-Noordhoff, Groningen (1969).
4. M. Lukarevski, Exradii of the triangle and Euler's inequality, Math.
Gaz. 101 (March 2017) p.123.
5. N. Altshiller-Court, College Geometry, Barnes & Noble (1952).
6. G. Leversha, The geometry of the triangle, UKMT (2013).
7. R. Johnson, Advanced Euclidean geometry, Dover (1960).
8. M. Lukarevski, An alternate proof of Gerretsen's inequalities, Elem.
Math. 72 (1) (2017) pp. 2-8.
10.1017/mag.2020.22 MARTIN LUKAREVSKI
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
University ”Goce Delcev” - Stip, Macedonia
e-mail: martin.lukarevski@ugd.edu.mk

104.08 Finding triangles with given circum-medial triangle

Let A1B1C1 be an arbitrary triangle and P an arbitrary point not on its
circumcircle Σ. The ‘other’ intersection points of the ‘cevians’ A1P, B1P, C1P
with Σ, the points A, B, C, make the so-called circumcevian triangle of
A1B1C1 with respect to P. If P is the centroid of A1B1C1 then ABC is called
the circum-medial triangle * of A1B1C1 (see Figure 1: P = centroid G1).

* Unfortunately, not every language has such short and precise terms for the
corresponding triangles. For instance in German there is no such term, one would
have to describe the whole process with many words.

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Karolinska Institutet University Library, on 02 Mar 2020 at 18:40:16, subject to the
Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/mag.2020.22