
In
Euclidean plane
In mathematics, a Euclidean plane is a Euclidean space of Two-dimensional space, dimension two, denoted \textbf^2 or \mathbb^2. It is a geometric space in which two real numbers are required to determine the position (geometry), position of eac ...
geometry
Geometry (; ) is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. Geometry is, along with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. A mathematician w ...
, Lester's theorem states that in any
scalene triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimensional ...
, the two
Fermat point
In Euclidean geometry, the Fermat point of a triangle, also called the Torricelli point or Fermat–Torricelli point, is a point such that the sum of the three distances from each of the three vertices of the triangle to the point is the smallest ...
s, the
nine-point center
In geometry, the nine-point center is a triangle center, a point defined from a given triangle in a way that does not depend on the placement or scale of the triangle.
It is so called because it is the center of the nine-point circle, a circle ...
, and the
circumcenter
In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a triangle is a circle that passes through all three vertices. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter of the triangle, and its radius is called the circumradius. The circumcen ...
lie on the same circle.
The result is named after June Lester, who published it in 1997, and the circle through these points was called the Lester circle by
Clark Kimberling
Clark Kimberling (born November 7, 1942, in Hinsdale, Illinois) is a mathematician, musician, and composer. He has been a mathematics professor since 1970 at the University of Evansville. His research interests include triangle centers, integer se ...
.
Lester proved the result by using the properties of
complex number
In mathematics, a complex number is an element of a number system that extends the real numbers with a specific element denoted , called the imaginary unit and satisfying the equation i^= -1; every complex number can be expressed in the for ...
s; subsequent authors have given elementary proofs, proofs using vector arithmetic, and computerized proofs. The center of the Lester circle is also a triangle center. It is the center designated as X(1116) in the
Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers
The Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers (ETC) is an online list of thousands of points or " centers" associated with the geometry of a triangle. This resource is hosted at the University of Evansville
The University of Evansville (UE) is a priv ...
. Recently, Peter Moses discovered 21 other
triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimension ...
centers lie on the Lester circle. The points are numbered X(15535) – X(15555) in the
Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers
The Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers (ETC) is an online list of thousands of points or " centers" associated with the geometry of a triangle. This resource is hosted at the University of Evansville
The University of Evansville (UE) is a priv ...
.
Peter Moses, Preamble before X(15535) in
ncyclopedia of Triangle Centers
Gibert's generalization
In 2000, Bernard Gibert proposed a generalization of the Lester Theorem involving the Kiepert hyperbola
In triangle geometry, the Kiepert conics are two special conics associated with the reference triangle. One of them is a hyperbola, called the Kiepert hyperbola and the other is a parabola, called the Kiepert parabola. The Kiepert conics are defin ...
of a triangle. His result can be stated as follows: Every circle with a diameter that is a chord of the Kiepert hyperbola and perpendicular to the 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, incl ...
passes through the Fermat point
In Euclidean geometry, the Fermat point of a triangle, also called the Torricelli point or Fermat–Torricelli point, is a point such that the sum of the three distances from each of the three vertices of the triangle to the point is the smallest ...
s. [Paul Yiu, ''The circles of Lester, Evans, Parry, and their generalizations'', Forum Geometricorum, volume 10, pages 175–209]
[Dao Thanh Oai, ''A Simple Proof of Gibert’s Generalization of the Lester Circle Theorem'', Forum Geometricorum, volume 14, pages 201–202]
Dao's generalizations
Dao's first generalization
In 2014, Dao Thanh Oai extended Gibert's result to every rectangular hyperbola
In mathematics, a hyperbola is a type of smooth curve lying in a plane, defined by its geometric properties or by equations for which it is the solution set. A hyperbola has two pieces, called connected components or branches, that are mirro ...
. The generalization is as follows: Let and lie on one branch of a rectangular hyperbola, and let and be the two points on the hyperbola that are symmetrical about its center (antipodal points
In mathematics, two points of a sphere (or n-sphere, including a circle) are called antipodal or diametrically opposite if they are the endpoints of a diameter, a straight line segment between two points on a sphere and passing through its cent ...
), where the tangents at these points are parallel
Parallel may refer to:
Mathematics
* Parallel (geometry), two lines in the Euclidean plane which never intersect
* Parallel (operator), mathematical operation named after the composition of electrical resistance in parallel circuits
Science a ...
to the line . Let and be two points on the hyperbola where the tangents intersect at a point on the line . If the line intersects at , and the perpendicular bisector
In geometry, bisection is the division of something into two equal or congruent parts (having the same shape and size). Usually it involves a bisecting line, also called a ''bisector''. The most often considered types of bisectors are the ''se ...
of intersects the hyperbola at and , then the six points , , and lie on a circle. When the rectangular hyperbola is the Kiepert hyperbola
In triangle geometry, the Kiepert conics are two special conics associated with the reference triangle. One of them is a hyperbola, called the Kiepert hyperbola and the other is a parabola, called the Kiepert parabola. The Kiepert conics are defin ...
and and are the two Fermat points, Dao's generalization becomes Gibert's generalization. [Ngo Quang Duong, ''Generalization of the Lester circle'', Global Journal of Advanced Research on Classical and Modern Geometries, Vol.10, (2021), Issue 1, pages 49–61]
Dao's second generalization
In 2015, Dao Thanh Oai proposed another generalization of the Lester circle, this time associated with the Neuberg cubic
In Euclidean geometry, the Neuberg cubic is a special cubic plane curve associated with a reference triangle with several remarkable properties. It is named after Joseph Jean Baptiste Neuberg (30 October 1840 – 22 March 1926), a Luxembourger mat ...
. It can be stated as follows: Let be a point on the Neuberg cubic
In Euclidean geometry, the Neuberg cubic is a special cubic plane curve associated with a reference triangle with several remarkable properties. It is named after Joseph Jean Baptiste Neuberg (30 October 1840 – 22 March 1926), a Luxembourger mat ...
, and let be the reflection of in the line , with and defined cyclically. The lines , , and are known to be concurrent at a point denoted as . The four points , , , and lie on a circle. When is the point , it is known that , making Dao's generalization a restatement of the Lester Theorem. [Dao Thanh Oai, ''Generalizations of some famous classical Euclidean geometry theorems'', International Journal of Computer Discovered Mathematics, Vol.1, (2016), Issue 3, pages 13–20]
ncyclopedia of Triangle Centers[César Eliud Lozada, Preamble before X(42740) in ]
ncyclopedia of Triangle Centers
See also
* Parry circle
*
* van Lamoen circle
References
External links
*{{mathworld, id=LesterCircle, title=Lester Circle
Theorems about triangles and circles