Difference between revisions of "AoPS Wiki:Sandbox"

(Cleared sandbox)
 
(80 intermediate revisions by 12 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Shoelace Theorem''' is a nifty formula for finding the [[area]] of a [[polygon]] given the [[Cartesian coordinate system | coordinates]] of its [[vertex|vertices]].
+
<noinclude>{{shortcut|[[A:SAND]]}} {{Template:Sandbox}} [[Category:AoPS Wiki]] <!-- Please do not delete this line --></noinclude>
 
 
==Theorem==
 
Let a polygon on the coordinate plane be defined by its vertices \left(x_1,y_1\right),<math>\left(x_2,y_2\right),...\left(x_n,y_n\right)</math>. Then, the area of the polygon is <math>\frac{1}{2}\left|x_1y_2+x_2y_3+\cdots+x_{n-1}y_n+x_ny_1-x_2y_1-x_3y_2-\cdots-x_ny_{n-1}-x_1y_n\right|</math>.
 
 
 
==Other Forms==
 
This can also be written in form of a summation <cmath>A = \dfrac{1}{2} \left|\sum_{i=1}^n{(x_{i+1}+x_i)(y_{i+1}-y_i)}\right|</cmath>
 
or in terms of determinants as <cmath>A = \dfrac{1}{2} \left|\sum_{i=1}^n{\det\begin{pmatrix}x_i&x_{i+1}\\y_i&y_{i+1}\end{pmatrix}}\right|</cmath>
 
which is useful in the <math>3D</math> variant of the Shoelace theorem. Note here that <math>x_{n+1} = x_1</math> and <math>y_{n+1} = y_1</math>.
 
 
 
The formula may also be considered a special case of Green's Theorem
 
 
 
<cmath>\tilde{A}=\int \int \left(\frac{\partial M}{\partial x}-\frac{\partial L}{\partial y}\right)dxdy=\oint(Ldx+Mdy)</cmath>
 
 
 
where <math>L=-y</math> and <math>M=0</math> so <math>\tilde{A}=A</math>.
 
 
 
==Proof 1==
 
Claim 1: The area of a triangle with coordinates <math>A(x_1, y_1)</math>, <math>B(x_2, y_2)</math>, and <math>C(x_3, y_3)</math> is <math>\frac{|x_1y_2+x_2y_3+x_3y_1-x_1y_3-x_2y_1-x_3y_2|}{2}</math>.
 
 
 
===Proof of claim 1:===
 
 
 
Writing the coordinates in 3D and translating <math>\triangle ABC</math> so that <math>A=(0, 0, 0)</math> we get the new coordinates <math>A'(0, 0, 0)</math>, <math>B(x_2-x_1, y_2-y_1, 0)</math>, and <math>C(x_3-x_1, y_3-y_1, 0)</math>. Now if we let <math>\vec{b}=(x_2-x_1 \quad y_2-y_1 \quad 0)</math> and <math>\vec{c}=(x_3-x_1 \quad y_3-y_1 \quad 0)</math> then by definition of the cross product <math>[ABC]=\frac{||\vec{b} \times \vec{c}||}{2}=\frac{1}{2}||(0 \quad 0 \quad x_1y_2+x_2y_3+x_3y_1-x_1y_3-x_2y_1-x_3y_2)||=\frac{x_1y_2+x_2y_3+x_3y_1-x_1y_3-x_2y_1-x_3y_2}{2}</math>.
 
 
 
===Proof:===
 
 
 
We will proceed with induction.
 
 
 
By claim 1, the shoelace theorem holds for any triangle. We will show that if it is true for some polygon <math>A_1A_2A_3...A_n</math> then it is also true for <math>A_1A_2A_3...A_nA_{n+1}</math>.
 
 
 
We cut <math>A_1A_2A_3...A_nA_{n+1}</math> into two polygons, <math>A_1A_2A_3...A_n</math> and <math>A_1A_nA_{n+1}</math>. Let the coordinates of point <math>A_i</math> be <math>(x_i, y_i)</math>. Then, applying the shoelace theorem on  <math>A_1A_2A_3...A_n</math> and <math>A_1A_nA_{n+1}</math> we get
 
 
 
<cmath>[A_1A_2A_3...A_n]=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_iy_{i+1}-x_{i+1}y_i)</cmath>
 
<cmath>[A_1A_nA_{n+1}]=\frac{1}{2}(x_1y_2+x_2y_3+x_3y_1-x_1y_3-x_2y_1-x_3y_2)</cmath>
 
 
 
Hence
 
 
 
<cmath>[A_1A_2A_3...A_nA_{n+1}]=[A_1A_2A_3...A_n]+[A_1A_nA_{n+1}]=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_iy_{i+1}-x_{i+1}y_i)+\frac{1}{2}(x_1y_2+x_2y_3+x_3y_1-x_1y_3-x_2y_1-x_3y_2)</cmath>
 
<cmath>=\frac{1}{2}((x_2y_1+x_3y_2+...+x_{n+1}y_n+x_1y_{n+1})-(x_1y_2+x_2y_3+...+x_ny_{n+1}+x_{n+1}y_1))=\boxed{\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n(x_iy_{i+1}-x_{i+1}y_i)}</cmath>
 
 
 
as claimed.
 
 
 
~ShreyJ
 
 
 
==Proof 2==
 
Let <math>\Omega</math> be the set of points belonging to the polygon.
 
We have that
 
<cmath>
 
A=\int_{\Omega}\alpha,
 
</cmath>
 
where <math>\alpha=dx\wedge dy</math>.
 
The volume form <math>\alpha</math> is an exact form since <math>d\omega=\alpha</math>, where
 
<cmath>
 
\omega=\frac{x\,dy}{2}-\frac{y\,dx}{2}.\label{omega}
 
</cmath>
 
Using this substitution, we have
 
<cmath>
 
\int_{\Omega}\alpha=\int_{\Omega}d\omega.
 
</cmath>
 
Next, we use the Theorem of Stokes to obtain
 
<cmath>
 
\int_{\Omega}d\omega=\int_{\partial\Omega}\omega.
 
</cmath>
 
We can write <math>\partial \Omega=\bigcup A(i)</math>, where <math>A(i)</math> is the line
 
segment from <math>(x_i,y_i)</math> to <math>(x_{i+1},y_{i+1})</math>. With this notation,
 
we may write
 
<cmath>
 
\int_{\partial\Omega}\omega=\sum_{i=1}^n\int_{A(i)}\omega.
 
</cmath>
 
If we substitute for <math>\omega</math>, we obtain
 
<cmath>
 
\sum_{i=1}^n\int_{A(i)}\omega=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n\int_{A(i)}{x\,dy}-{y\,dx}.
 
</cmath>
 
If we parameterize, we get
 
<cmath>
 
\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n\int_0^1{(x_i+(x_{i+1}-x_i)t)(y_{i+1}-y_i)}-{(y_i+(y_{i+1}-y_i)t)(x_{i+1}-x_i)\,dt}.
 
</cmath>
 
Performing the integration, we get
 
<cmath>
 
\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{1}{2}[(x_i+x_{i+1})(y_{i+1}-y_i)-
 
(y_{i}+y_{i+1})(x_{i+1}-x_i)].
 
</cmath>
 
More algebra yields the result
 
<cmath>
 
\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n(x_iy_{i+1}-x_{i+1}y_i).
 
</cmath>
 
 
 
==Proof 3==
 
This is a very nice approach that directly helps in understanding the sum as terms which are areas of trapezoids.
 
 
 
The proof is in this book:
 
https://cses.fi/book/book.pdf#page=281
 
 
 
(The only thing that needs to be slightly modified is that one must shift the entire polygon up by k, until all the y coordinates are positive, but this term gets canceled in the resulting sum.)
 
 
 
== Problems ==
 
=== Introductory ===
 
In right triangle <math>ABC</math>, we have <math>\angle ACB=90^{\circ}</math>, <math>AC=2</math>, and <math>BC=3</math>. [[Median of a triangle|Median]]s <math>AD</math> and <math>BE</math> are drawn to sides <math>BC</math> and <math>AC</math>, respectively. <math>AD</math> and <math>BE</math> intersect at point <math>F</math>. Find the area of <math>\triangle ABF</math>.
 
 
 
=== Exploratory ===
 
Observe that <cmath>\frac12\left|\det\begin{pmatrix}
 
x_1 & y_1\\
 
x_2 & y_2
 
\end{pmatrix}\right|</cmath> is the area of a triangle with vertices <math>(x_1,y_1),(x_2,y_2),(0,0)</math> and <cmath>\frac16\left|\det\begin{pmatrix}
 
x_1 & y_1 & z_1\\
 
x_2 & y_2 & z_2\\
 
x_3 & y_3 & z_3
 
\end{pmatrix}\right|</cmath> is the volume of a tetrahedron with vertices <math>(x_1, y_1, z_1), (x_2, y_2, z_2),(x_3, y_3, z_3),(0,0,0)</math>. Does a similar formula hold for <math>n</math>Dimensional triangles for any <math>n</math>? If so how can we use this to derive the <math>n</math>D Shoelace Formula?
 
 
 
== External Links==
 
A good explanation and exploration into why the theorem works by James Tanton:
 
[http://www.jamestanton.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Cool-Math-Essay_June-2014_SHOELACE-FORMULA.pdf]
 
 
 
Nice geometric approach and discussion for proving the 3D Shoelace Theorem by Nicholas Patrick and Nadya Pramita: [http://media.icys2018.com/2018/04/IndonesiaPatrickNicholas105190.pdf]
 
 
 
Nice integral approach for proving the 3D Shoelace Theorem (ignoring sign of volume) by @george2079: [https://mathematica.stackexchange.com/a/26015]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[[Category:Geometry]]
 
[[Category:Theorems]]
 
AOPS
 

Latest revision as of 20:40, 13 August 2025

Shortcut:

L Edit this page

This Sandbox page is for experimenting with AoPS Wiki editing.

Feel free to test formatting, links, or templates here. If you're new, you may find the AoPS Wiki editing tutorial helpful.

Note: This page is cleared regularly and without warning. Please do not add offensive, copyrighted, or inappropriate content.