THEOREM OF THE DAY

The Shoelace Formula Suppose the n vertices of a simple polygon in the Euclidean plane are listed in
counterclockwise order as (x0, y0), . . . , (xn−1, yn−1). Then the area A of the polygon may be calculated as:
1
A = (x0y1 − x1y0 + . . . + xn−2yn−1 − xn−1yn−2 + xn−1y0 − x0yn−1) . Using the exterior algebra
2 • Invariants e1 , . . . , en , multiplied and added
Example over a field (e.g. R) to give ‘formal’ expres-
Because the polygon on the left has lattice sions. √
point vertices, Pick’s theorem gives its area E.g. E = e1 e2 e3 − 3e1 e3 e2 + 2e33 .
as: • Expressions multiply using the exterior
I + B/2 − 1 = 6 + 6/2 − 1 = 8, (wedge) product E ∧ F (omitted for single
where I (resp. B) is number of interior (resp. invariants as in the above example) using the
boundary) lattice points. We can confirm that following rule:
the Shoelace formula gives the same value, (
calculating counterclockwise from the arrow: 0 i= j
ei e j =
−e j ei i, j
1
× 2×0 − 1×5 Thus our example expression above simpli-
2
+ 5×4 − 0×6 fies:
E = e1 e2 e3 + 3e1 e2 e3 + 0 = 4e1 e2 e3 .
+ 6×2 − 4×4
• Encoding vi = (xi , yi ) as xi e1 + yi e2 , we have
+ 4×3 − 2×1

vi ∧ v j = (xi y j − x j yi )e1 e2 .
+ 1×1 − 3 × 2 = 8.
An Application • Now we can express the Shoelace formula
We may triangulate a polygon on very concisely:
n vertices by adding n − 3 diag- We apply the Shoelace formula, 1
onals, as illustrated on the right. simplying via vi ∧ vi = 0 and A = (v0 ∧ v1 + . . . vn−1 ∧ v0 )
2
We would like to test if some vi ∧ v j = −v j ∧ vi , just as for the (or, more precisely, the coefficient of e1 e2 in
straight line joining a triangle ver- invariants ei . We get an equation this summation).
tex to the opposite polygon edge which we may solve for t, giving:
bisects the area of the polygon. In v0 v1 + v1 v2 + v2 v3 + v3 v0 − (v0 v3 + v3 v4 + v4 v0 )
our diagram this requires a value t= , omitting the ∧s for greater clarity.
2(v0 v1 + v1 v3 + v3 v0 )
of t ∈ [0, 1] for which the poly-
gons v0 , (1 − t)v0 + tv1 , v3 , v4 and (1 − t)v0 + tv1 , v1 , v2 , v3 have equal area. And we recognise three applications of the Shoelace formula! Denote by Acl the polygon
area clockwise from of our chosen triangle; by Aco the remaining polygon area; and by A∆
The Shoelace formula was invented in 1769 by Albrecht Meis- the area of the triangle itself. Then
Aco − Acl
ter, but it is widely attributed to Gauss who made significant t= .
2A∆
discoveries about polygons at the age of 18 in the 1790s. It For our example polygon, again using Pick, Acl = 5/2, Aco = 8 − 5/2 = 11/2 and
may now be seen as an application of Green’s Theorem (1828). A∆ = 5/2. This gives t = (11/2 − 5/2)/5 = 3/5 (a little to the right of our dotted line).
Web link: www.math.tolaso.com.gr/?p=1451
Further reading: The Shoelace Book by Burkard Polster, AMS, 2006. Created by Robin Whitty for www.theoremoftheday.org