Stewart's theorem

File:Stewarts theorem.svg

Let {{mvar|a}}, {{mvar|b}}, {{mvar|c}} be the lengths of the sides of a triangle. Let {{mvar|d}} be the length of a cevian to the side of length {{mvar|a}}. If the cevian divides the side of length {{mvar|a}} into two segments of length {{mvar|m}} and {{mvar|n}}, with {{mvar|m}} adjacent to {{mvar|c}} and {{mvar|n}} adjacent to {{mvar|b}}, then Stewart's theorem states that

$$b^2m\; +\; c^2n\; =\; a(d^2\; +\; mn).$$

A common mnemonic used by students to memorize this equation (after rearranging the terms) is:

$$\backslash underset\{\backslash text\{A\; \}man\backslash text\{\; and\; his\; \}dad\}\{man\backslash \; +\backslash \; dad\}\; =\; \backslash !\backslash !\backslash !\backslash !\backslash !\backslash !\; \backslash underset\{\backslash text\{put\; a\; \}bomb\backslash text\{\; in\; the\; \}sink.\}\{bmb\backslash \; +\backslash \; cnc\}$$

The theorem may be written more symmetrically using signed lengths of segments. That is, take the length {{mvar|{{overline|AB}}}} to be positive or negative according to whether {{mvar|A}} is to the left or right of {{mvar|B}} in some fixed orientation of the line. In this formulation, the theorem states that if {{mvar|A, B, C}} are collinear points, and {{mvar|P}} is any point, then

:$\backslash left(\backslash overline\{PA\}^2\backslash cdot\; \backslash overline\{BC\}\backslash right)\; +\; \backslash left(\backslash overline\{PB\}^2\backslash cdot\; \backslash overline\{CA\}\backslash right)\; +\; \backslash left(\backslash overline\{PC\}^2\backslash cdot\; \backslash overline\{AB\}\backslash right)\; +\; \backslash left(\backslash overline\{AB\}\backslash cdot\; \backslash overline\{BC\}\backslash cdot\; \backslash overline\{CA\}\backslash right)\; =0.${{harvnb|Russell|1905|loc=p. 3}}

In the special case where the cevian is a median (meaning it divides the opposite side into two segments of equal length), the result is known as Apollonius' theorem.

The theorem can be proved as an application of the law of cosines.{{PlanetMath|title=Proof of Stewart's Theorem|urlname=ProofOfStewartsTheorem}}

Let {{mvar|θ}} be the angle between {{mvar|m}} and {{mvar|d}} and {{mvar|θ'}} the angle between {{mvar|n}} and {{mvar|d}}. Then {{mvar|θ'}} is the supplement of {{mvar|θ}}, and so {{math|1=cos θ' = −cos θ}}. Applying the law of cosines in the two small triangles using angles {{mvar|θ}} and {{mvar|θ'}} produces

$$\backslash begin\{align\}$$

c^2 &= m^2 + d^2 - 2dm\cos\theta, \\

b^2 &= n^2 + d^2 - 2dn\cos\theta' \\

&= n^2 + d^2 + 2dn\cos\theta.

\end{align}

Multiplying the first equation by {{mvar|n}} and the third equation by {{mvar|m}} and adding them eliminates {{math|cos θ}}. One obtains

$$\backslash begin\{align\}$$

b^2m + c^2n &= nm^2 + n^2m + (m+n)d^2 \\

&= (m+n)(mn + d^2) \\

&= a(mn + d^2), \\

\end{align}

which is the required equation.

Alternatively, the theorem can be proved by drawing a perpendicular from the vertex of the triangle to the base and using the Pythagorean theorem to write the distances {{mvar|b}}, {{mvar|c}}, {{mvar|d}} in terms of the altitude. The left and right hand sides of the equation then reduce algebraically to the same expression.

According to {{harvtxt|Hutton|Gregory|1843|loc=p. 220}}, Stewart published the result in 1746 when he was a candidate to replace Colin Maclaurin as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. {{harvtxt|Coxeter|Greitzer|1967|loc=p. 6}} state that the result was probably known to Archimedes around 300 B.C.E. They go on to say (mistakenly) that the first known proof was provided by R. Simson in 1751. {{harvtxt|Hutton|Gregory|1843}} state that the result is used by Simson in 1748 and by Simpson in 1752, and its first appearance in Europe{{clarification needed|date=October 2024}} given by Lazare Carnot in 1803.

• Mass point geometry

• {{citation|first1=H.S.M.|last1=Coxeter|first2=S.L.|last2=Greitzer|title=Geometry Revisited|year=1967|publisher=The Mathematical Association of America|series=New Mathematical Library #19|isbn=0-88385-619-0}}
• {{citation |title=A Course of Mathematics|first1=C.|last1=Hutton|first2=O.|last2=Gregory |publisher=Longman, Orme & Co.|year=1843|volume=II|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9-4GAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA219}}
• {{citation |title=Pure Geometry

|first=John Wellesley|last=Russell|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1905

|chapter=Chapter 1 §3: Stewart's Theorem

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r3ILAAAAYAAJ|oclc= 5259132}}

• I.S Amarasinghe, Solutions to the Problem 43.3: Stewart's Theorem (A New Proof for the Stewart's Theorem using Ptolemy's Theorem), Mathematical Spectrum, Vol 43(03), pp. 138 – 139, 2011.
• {{citation|first1=Alexander|last1=Ostermann|first2=Gerhard|last2=Wanner|title=Geometry by Its History|year=2012|publisher=Springer|page=112|isbn=978-3-642-29162-3}}

• {{MathWorld|title=Stewart's Theorem|urlname=StewartsTheorem}}
• {{PlanetMath|title=Stewart's Theorem|urlname=StewartsTheorem}}

Category:Euclidean plane geometry

Category:Theorems about triangles

Category:Articles containing proofs