Forum Geometricorum

Volume 7 (2007) 151158.

FORUM GEOM
ISSN 1534-1178

Some Triangle Centers Associated with the Excircles

Tibor Dosa

Abstract. We construct a few new triangle centers associated with the excircles
of a triangle.

1. Introduction
Consider a triangle ABC with its excircles. We study a triad of extouch triangles
and construct some new triangle centers associated with them. By the A-extouch
triangle, we mean the triangle with vertices the points of tangency of the A-excircle
with the sidelines of ABC. This is triangle Aa Ba Ca in Figure 1. Similarly, the Band C-extouch triangles are respectively Ab Bb Cb , and Ac Bc Cc . Consider also the
incircles of these extouch triangles, with centers I1 , I2 , I3 respectively, and points
of tangency X of (I1 ) with Ba Ca , Y of (I2 ) with Cb Ab , and Z of (I3 ) with Ac Bc .
Cb

Bc
A

I3

Cc

I2

P1

Bb
P2
Aa

Ac

Ab

I1
Ba
X
Ca

Figure 1.

In this paper, we adopt the usual notations of triangle geometry as in [3] and
work with homogeneous barycentric coordinates with reference to triangle ABC.
Publication Date: October 1, 2007. Communicating Editor: Paul Yiu.

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T. Dosa

Theorem 1. (1) The lines AX, BY , CZ are concurrent at

P1 =

cos

B
C
A
B
C
A
cos2
: cos cos2
: cos cos2
2
4
2
4
2
4

(2) The lines I1 X, I2 Y , I3 Z are concurrent at

C
A
B
cos
+ (b + c) cos
2
2
2
A
B
C
+ (c + a) cos
: b 1 cos cos
2
2
2
B
C
A
+ (a + b) cos
.
: c 1 cos cos
2
2
2

P2 = a 1 cos

2. Some preliminary results

Let s and R be the semiperimeter and circumradius respectively of triangle
ABC. The following homogeneous barycentric coordinates are well known.
Aa = (0 : s b : s c), Ba = ((s b) : 0 : s), Ca = ((s c) : s : 0);
Ab = (0 : (s a) : s), Bb = (s a : 0 : s c), Cb = (s : (s c) : 0);
Ac = (0 : s : (s c)), Bc = (s : 0 : (s a)), Cc = (s a : s b : 0).
The lengths of the sides of the A-extouch triangle are as follows:
Ba Ca = 2s sin

A
,
2

Ca Aa = 2(s c) cos

B
,
2

Aa Ba = 2(s b) cos

C
. (1)
2

Lemma 2.
B
C
A
cos cos ,
2
2
2
B
C
A
s a = 4R cos sin sin ,
2
2
2
B
C
A
s b = 4R sin cos sin ,
2
2
2
B
C
A
s c = 4R sin sin cos .
2
2
2
s = 4R cos

We omit the proof of this lemma. It follows easily from, for example, [1, 293].

Some triangle centers associated with the excircles

153

3. Proof of Theorem 1
1
Ba X = (Ba Ca Aa Ca + Aa Ba )
2
B
C
A
=s sin (s c) cos + (s b) cos
2
2
2
A
B
C
A
B
C
=4R sin cos cos
cos sin + sin
2
2
2
2
2
2
B
C
B+C
B
C
A
sin
sin + sin
=4R sin cos cos
2
2
2
2
2
2
B
C
B+C
B+C
BC
B+C
A
2 sin
cos
2 sin
cos
=4R sin cos cos
2
2
2
4
4
4
4
B
C
B+C
B
C
A
cos sin .
=16R sin cos cos cos
2
2
2
4
4
4
B
C
Similarly, XCa = 16R sin A2 cos B2 cos C2 cos B+C
4 sin 4 cos 4 . The point X
therefore divides Ba Ca in the ratio

Ba X : XCa = cos

C
B
C
B
sin : sin cos .
4
4
4
4

This allows us to compute its absolute barycentric coordinate in terms of Ba and

Ca . Note that
Ba =

sin A2 sin C2 , 0, cos A2 cos C2

sin B2

Ca =

sin A2 sin B2 , cos A2 cos B2 , 0

sin C2

From these we have

X=

=
=
=

sin B4 cos C4 Ba + cos B4 sin C4 Ca

sin B4 cos C4
cos C4
cos2

sin B+C
4
( sin A2 sin C2 ,0,cos A2 cos C2 )
sin

B
2

+ cos B4 sin C4

( sin A2 sin B2 ,cos A2 cos B2 , 0)

sin

C
2

sin B+C
4
A
B
A
B
( sin A2 sin C2 ,0,cos A2 cos C2 )
B ( sin 2 sin 2 ,cos 2 cos 2 , 0)

+
cos

B
C
4
2 cos
2 cos

C
4

sin B+C
4

B
A
B
A
B
4 sin 2 sin 2 , cos 2 cos 2 , 0
2 cos B4 cos C4 sin B+C
4
sin C2 cos2 C4 , cos A2 cos B2 cos2 B4 , cos A2 cos C2 cos2 C4
2 cos B4 cos C4 sin B+C
4

sin A2 sin C2 , 0, cos A2 cos C2 + cos2

sin A2 sin B2 cos2

B
4

From this we obtain the homogeneous barycentric coordinates of X, and those of

Y and Z by cyclic permutations of A, B, C:

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X = sin
B
2
C
Z = cos
2

Y = cos

T. Dosa

B
C
A
B
A
C
B
C
B
C
cos2
+ sin cos2
: cos cos cos2
: cos cos cos2
,
2
4
2
4
2
2
4
2
2
4
A
C
A
C
A
B
C
A
B
C
cos cos2
: sin
sin cos2
+ sin cos2
: cos cos cos2
,
2
4
2
2
4
2
4
2
2
4
A
A
B
A
B
A
C
B
C
B
sin cos2 + sin cos2
.
cos cos2
: cos cos cos2
: sin
2
4
2
2
4
2
2
4
2
4

A
2

sin

Equivalently,
X = tan

A
2

sin

A
cos2
2
A
Z = cos cos2
2

Y = cos

A
4
A
4

C
C
B
C
B
C
B
B
cos2 + sin cos2
: cos cos2
: cos cos2
,
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
B
A
C
A
C
C
C
: tan
sin cos2 + sin cos2
: cos cos2
,
2
2
4
2
4
2
4
B
C
A
B
B
A
B
: cos cos2
: tan
sin cos2 + sin cos2
.
2
4
2
2
4
2
4

It is clear that the lines AX, BY , CZ intersect at a point P1 with coordinates

cos

B
C
A
B
C
A
cos2
: cos cos2
: cos cos2
2
4
2
4
2
4

This completes the proof of Theorem 1(1).

For (2), note that the line I1 X is parallel to the bisector of angle A. Its has
barycentric equation
B
C
2 B
2
sin A
2 sin 2 cos 4 + sin 2 cos
(b + c)
x

C
4

B
2
cos A
2 cos 2 cos
b
y

B
4

C
2
cos A
2 cos 2 cos
c
z

C
4

= 0.

A routine calculation, making use of the fact that the sum of the entries in the first
row is sin C2 cos2 B4 + sin B2 cos2 C4 , gives
(x + y + z) b cos

B
C
c cos
2
2

+ bz cy = 0.

Similarly, the lines I2 Y and I3 Z have equations

C
A
a cos
2
2
A
B
(x + y + z) a cos b cos
2
2
(x + y + z) c cos

+ cx az =0,
+ ay bx =0.

Some triangle centers associated with the excircles

155

These three lines intersect at

C
A
B
cos
+ (b + c) cos
2
2
2
A
B
C
+ (c + a) cos
: b 1 cos cos
2
2
2
B
C
A
+ (a + b) cos
.
: c 1 cos cos
2
2
2

P2 = a 1 cos

This completes the proof of Theorem 1(2).

Remark. The barycentric coordinates of the incenter I1 of the A-extouch triangle
are
sin

A
2

sin

C
B
+ sin
2
2

: cos

B
2

sin

A
C
+ cos
2
2

: cos

C
2

cos

B
A
+ sin
2
2

4. Some collinearities
The homogeneous barycentric coordinates of P1 can be rewritten as
cos2

A
B
C
A
B
C
+ cos
: cos2 + cos
: cos2 + cos
2
2
2
2
2
2

From this it is clear that the point P1 lies on the line joining the two points with
coordinates cos2 A2 : cos2 B2 : cos2 C2 and cos A2 : cos B2 : cos C2 . We briefly
recall their definitions.
(i) The point M = cos2 A2 : cos2 B2 : cos2 C2 = (a(s a) : b(s b) : c(s c))
is the Mittenpunkt. It is the perspector of the excentral triangle and the medial
triangle. It is the triangle center X9 of [2].
(ii) The point Q = cos A2 : cos B2 : cos C2 appears as X188 in [2], and is
named the second mid-arc point. Here is an explicit description. Consider the
anticomplementary triangle A B C of ABC, with its incircle (I ). If the segments
I A , I B , I C intersect the incircle (I ) at A , B , C , then the lines AA , BB ,
CC are concurrent at Q. See Figure 2.
Proposition 3. (1) The point P1 lies on the line M Q.
(2) The point P2 lies on the line joining the incenter to Q.
Proof. We need only prove (2). This is clear from
P2 =

1 cos

B
C
A
cos cos
2
2
2

I + cos

A
B
C
+ cos + cos
2
2
2

Q.

In fact,
P2 = I + cos

B
C
A
+ cos + cos
2
2
2

IQ.

(2)

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T. Dosa
A

B
B

Figure 2.

5. The excircles of the extouch triangles

Consider the excircle of triangle Aa Ba Ca tangent to the side Ba Ca at X . It is
clear that X and X are symmetric with respect to the midpoint of Ba Ca . Since
triangle ABa Ca is isosceles, the lines AX and AX are isogonal with respect to
ABa and ACa . As such, they are isogonal with respect to AB and AC. Likewise,
if we consider the excircle of Ab Bb Cb tangent to Cb Ab at Y , and that of Ac Bc Cc
tangent to Ac Bc at Z , then the lines AX , BY , CZ , being respectively isogonal
to AX, BY , CZ, intersect at the isogonal conjugate of P1 .
Proposition 4. The barycentric coordinates of P1 are
cos

B
C
A
B
C
A
sin2
: cos sin2
: cos sin2
2
4
2
4
2
4

Proof. This follows from

P1 =
=

sin2 A
cos A2 cos2
sin2

= cos

A
2

A
4

cos A2

cos2

A
4

:
:

sin2 B
cos B2 cos2
sin2

B
2

B
4

cos B2

cos2

B
4

:
:

sin2 C
cos C2 cos2
sin2

C
2

C
4

cos C2

cos2

C
4

B
C
A
B
C
A
sin2
: cos sin2
: cos sin2
2
4
2
4
2
4

Corollary 5. The points P1 , P1 and Q are collinear.

.:

Some triangle centers associated with the excircles

157

P2

P2

Aa

B
I1

Ba
X
X
Ca

Figure 3.

Proposition 6. The perpendiculars to Ba Ca at X , to Cb Ab at Y , and to Ac Bc at

Z are concurrent at the reflection of P2 in I, which is the point
C
A
B
+ cos
(b + c) cos
2
2
2
A
B
C
(c + a) cos
:b 1 + cos + cos
2
2
2
B
C
A
(a + b) cos .
:c 1 + cos + cos
2
2
2

P2 =a 1 + cos

Proof. Let P2 be the reflection of P2 in I. Since X and X are symmetric in the

midpoint of Ba Ca , and P2 X is perpendicular to Ba Ca , it follows that P2 X is
also perpendicular to Ba Ca . The same reasoning shows that P2 Y and P2 Z are
perpendicular to Cb Ab and Ac Bc respectively. It follows from (2) that
P2 = I cos

B
C
A
+ cos + cos
2
2
2

IQ.

From this, we easily obtain the homogeneous barycentric coordinates as given

above.
We conclude this paper with the construction of another triangle center. It is
known that the perpendiculars from Aa to Ba Ca , Bb to Cb Ab , and Cc to Ac Bc

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T. Dosa

intersect at
P3 = ((b + c) cos A : (c + a) cos B : (a + b) cos C).

(3)

This is the triangle center X72 in [2].

If we let X0 , Y0 , Z0 be these pedals, then it is also known that AX0 , BY0 , CZ0
intersect at the Mittenpunkt X9 . Now, let X1 , Y1 , Z1 be the reflections of X0 , Y0 ,
Z0 in the midpoints of Ba Ca , Cb Ab , Ac Bc respectively. The lines AX1 , BY1 , CZ1
clearly intersect at the reflection of X72 in I. This is the point
P3 = ((b + c) cos A 2a : (c + a) cos B 2b : (a + b) cos C 2c) .
These coordinates are particularly simple since the sum of the coordinates of P3
given in (3) is a + b + c.
The triangle centers P1 , P1 , P2 , P2 and P3 do not appear in [2].
References
[1] R. A. Johnson, Advanced Euclidean Geometry, Dover reprint, 1960.
[2] C. Kimberling, Encyclopedia of Triangle Centers, available at
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/encyclopedia/ETC.html.
[3] P. Yiu, Introduction to the Geometry of the Triangle, Florida Atlantic University lecture notes,
2001, available at http://www.math.fau.edu/Yiu/Geometry.html.
Tibor Dosa: 83098 Brannenburg Tannenweg 7, Germany
E-mail address: dosa.tibor@t-onine.de