Barycentric Coordinates - Cut-the-Knot

4/20/2020 Barycentric Coordinates
Barycentric coordinates
At the end of the discussion on Ceva's Theorem (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/Generalization/ceva.shtml), we arrived at
the conclusion that, for any point K inside ΔABC, there exist three masses wA, wB, and wC such that, if placed at the
corresponding vertices of the triangle, their center of gravity (barycenter) coincides with the point K. August Ferdinand
Moebius (1790-1868) defined (1827) wA, wB, and wC as the barycentric coordinates of K. (It's possible to generalize
and consider also negative masses for points outside the triangle. This is not necessary for my purposes.) As defined,
the barycentric coordinates are not unique. Masses kwA, kwB, and kwC have exactly same barycenter for any k > 0.
Thus barycentric coordinates are a form of general homogeneous coordinates that are used in many branches of
mathematics (and even computer graphics). With one additional condition
(*) wA + wB + wC = 1
the barycentric coordinates are defined uniquely for every point inside the triangle. (Barycentric coordinates that satisfy
(*) (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/barycenter.shtml#(*)) are known as areal coordinates because, assuming the
area of ΔABC is 1, the weights w are equal to the areas of triangles KBC, KAC, and KAB.) Since the center of gravity of
any two points lies on the connecting segment, wA = 0 for points on BC, wB = 0 for points on AC, and wC = 0 on AB.
Vertices A,B,C have coordinates (1,0,0), (0,1,0), and (0,0,1), respectively.
The usual way to define the barycenter of three points with given masses (let's call such points
material) is first to place the sum of masses of any two points at their barycenter. Now repeat the
same (1-dimensional) operation pairing the new and the third remaining point. (The argument is
formalized within affine geometry. I prefer to keep the discussion intuitive.) Assuming (*), if wA is
kept fixed, so will be the sum wB + wC. It then follows that for two possible positions D and D' of the barycenter of B and
C, we have DK/KA = wA/(wB + wC) = D'K'/K'A. Therefore, KK' is parallel to BC. In other words, the equation wA = const
describes the lines parallel to BC. As we already noted, the equation of BC is wA = 0. A similar relationship exists
between wB and AC and wC and AB.
If Mb (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/index.shtml) and Mc
(https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/index.shtml) are midpoints
of AC and AB, respectively, then the equation of MbMc is
wA = 1/2. Similarly, MaMc = {(wA, wB, wC): wB = 1/2} and
MaMb = {(wA, wB, wC): wC = 1/2}.
Let's have a look at the diagram on the right. In the blue triangle,
all three coordinates are less than 1/2. Therefore, the first digit of
their binary representation (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/blue/frac_conv.shtml) is zero. In the red triangles, two
coordinates are less than 1/4 while the third is between 1/2 and 3/4. Therefore, in the red triangles, all three
coordinates have their second binary digit zero. This leads to the trema removal procedure (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/ctk/Sierpinski.shtml#trema) for constructing the Sierpinski gasket and provides a clue to its Description in the
barycentric coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/ctk/Sierpinski.shtml#bary).
Barycentric coordinates arise naturally whenever variable quantities have a constant sum. Three glass problem
(https://www.cut-the-knot.org/water.shtml), where we are pouring water from one glass to another under the unrealistic
assumption that in the process no drop of water is going to be spilled, is a salient example. The problem illustrates
beautifully (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/glasses.shtml) the concept of barycentric coordinates.
Barycenter and Barycentric Coordinates

1.
3D Quadrilateral - a Coffin Problem (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/blue/3DQuadrilateral.shtml)
2.
Barycentric Coordinates
3.
Barycentric Coordinates: a Tool (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/Barycentric.shtml)
4.
Barycentric Coordinates and Geometric Probability (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/geoprobability.shtml)
Stick Broken Into Three Pieces (Trilinear Coordinates) (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/Curriculum/Probability/TriProbability.shtml)
Stick Broken Into Three Pieces (Cartesian Coordinates) (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/Curriculum/Probability/TriProbCartesian.shtml)
5. Ceva's Theorem (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/Generalization/ceva.shtml#barycenter)
6. Determinants, Area, and Barycentric Coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/RouthTheorem.shtml)
7. Maxwell Theorem via the Center of Gravity (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/MaxwellBarycenter.shtml)
8. Bimedians in a Quadrilateral (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/AnyQuadri.shtml#barycenter)
9. Simultaneous Generalization of the Theorems of Ceva and Menelaus (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/Generalization/CevaAndMenelaus.shtml)
Theorems of Ceva and Menelaus, an Illustrated Generalization (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/EscherCevaMenelaus.shtml)
10. Three glasses puzzle (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/glasses.shtml)
11. Van Obel Theorem and Barycentric Coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/VanObel.shtml)
https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/barycenter.shtml 1/2
4/20/2020 Barycentric Coordinates
12. 1961 IMO, Problem 4. An exercise in barycentric coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/wiki-math/index.php?

n=MathematicalOlympiads.IMO1961Problem4)
13. Centroids in Polygon (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/CentroidsInPolygon.shtml)
14. Center of Gravity and Motion of Material Points (https://www.cut-the-
knot.org/m/Geometry/FourMaterialPoints.shtml)
15. Isotomic Reciprocity (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/m/Geometry/IsotomicReciprocity.shtml)
16. An Affine Property of Barycenter (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/AffinePropertyOfBarycenter.shtml)
17. Problem in Direct Similarity (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/m/Geometry/DirectSimilarity3.shtml)
18. Circles in Barycentric Coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/triangle/CirclesInBarycentricCoordinates.shtml)
19. Barycenter of Cevian Triangle (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/m/Geometry/CevianBarycenter.shtml)
20. Concurrent Chords in a Circle, Equally Inclined (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/m/Geometry/VDubrovsky.shtml)
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4/20/2020 Barycentric Coordinates

Barycenter and Barycentric Coordinates

12. 1961 IMO, Problem 4. An exercise in barycentric coordinates (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/wiki-math/index.php?

|Contact| (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/MailNotificationPage.shtml) |Front page| (https://www.cut-the-

Copyright © 1996-2018 Alexander Bogomolny (https://www.cut-the-knot.org/index.shtml)

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