geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

, the tangential triangle of a reference

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, an ...

(other than a

right triangle A right triangle (American English) or right-angled triangle ( British), or more formally an orthogonal triangle, formerly called a rectangled triangle ( grc, ὀρθόσγωνία, lit=upright angle), is a triangle in which one angle is a right a ...

) is the triangle whose sides are on the

tangent line In geometry, the tangent line (or simply tangent) to a plane curve at a given point is the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. Leibniz defined it as the line through a pair of infinitely close points on the curve. Mo ...

s to the reference triangle's

circumcircle In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

at the reference triangle's vertices. Thus the

incircle In geometry, the incircle or inscribed circle of a triangle is the largest circle that can be contained in the triangle; it touches (is tangent to) the three sides. The center of the incircle is a triangle center called the triangle's incenter. ...

of the tangential triangle coincides with the circumcircle of the reference triangle. The

circumcenter In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

of the tangential triangle is on the reference triangle's

Euler line In geometry, the Euler line, named after Leonhard Euler (), is a line determined from any triangle that is not equilateral. It is a central line of the triangle, and it passes through several important points determined from the triangle, includ ...

, as is the

center of similitude In geometry, a homothetic center (also called a center of similarity or a center of similitude) is a point from which at least two geometrically similar figures can be seen as a dilation or contraction of one another. If the center is ''extern ...

of the tangential triangle and the orthic triangle (whose vertices are at the feet of the

altitudes Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...

of the reference triangle).Smith, Geoff, and Leversha, Gerry, "Euler and triangle geometry", ''Mathematical Gazette'' 91, November 2007, 436–452. The tangential triangle is homothetic to the orthic triangle.Altshiller-Court, Nathan. ''College Geometry'', Dover Publications, 2007 (orig. 1952). A reference triangle and its tangential triangle are in perspective, and the axis of perspectivity is the

Lemoine axis Lemoine or Le Moine is a French surname meaning "Monk". Notable people with the surname include: * Adolphe Lemoine, known as Lemoine-Montigny (1812–1880), French comic-actor * Anna Le Moine (born 1973), Swedish curler * Antoine Marcel Lemoine ( ...

of the reference triangle. That is, the lines connecting the vertices of the tangential triangle and the corresponding vertices of the reference triangle are

concurrent Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

. The center of perspectivity, where these three lines meet, is the

symmedian point In geometry, symmedians are three particular lines associated with every triangle. They are constructed by taking a median of the triangle (a line connecting a vertex with the midpoint of the opposite side), and reflecting the line over the co ...

of the triangle. The tangent lines containing the sides of the tangential triangle are called the

exsymmedian The exsymmedians are three lines associated with a triangle. More precisely for a given triangle the exsymmedians are the tangent lines on the triangle's circumcircle through the three vertices of the triangle. The triangle formed by the three ex ...

s of the reference triangle. Any two of these are concurrent with the third symmedian of the reference triangle.Johnson, Roger A., ''Advanced Euclidean Geometry'', Dover Publications, 2007 (orig. 1929). The reference triangle's circumcircle, its

nine-point circle In geometry, the nine-point circle is a circle that can be constructed for any given triangle. It is so named because it passes through nine significant concyclic points defined from the triangle. These nine points are: * The midpoint of ea ...

, its

polar circle A polar circle is a geographic term for a conditional circular line (arc) referring either to the Arctic Circle or the Antarctic Circle. These are two of the keynote circles of latitude (parallels). On Earth, the Arctic Circle is currently d ...

, and the circumcircle of the tangential triangle are coaxal. A right triangle has no tangential triangle, because the tangent lines to its circumcircle at its acute vertices are parallel and thus cannot form the sides of a triangle. The reference triangle is the

Gergonne triangle In geometry, the incircle or inscribed circle of a triangle is the largest circle that can be contained in the triangle; it touches (is tangent to) the three sides. The center of the incircle is a triangle center called the triangle's incenter. ...

of the tangential triangle.

References

Objects defined for a triangle {{elementary-geometry-stub

See also

References