Areas

The area of bounded plane regions can be defined by to the following rules:

(A0) The area inside a square of side length 1 cm is 1 cm2 .

(A1) Any congruent polygons enclose equal areas.
(A2) The total area of a union of plane regions intersecting only along boundaries is the sum of
the areas of these regions.
n
[ n
X
Area ( Pk ) = Area (Pk ).
k=1 k=1

b b b b b b

P2 P4 P6 P8 P10
b b b b b b

P1 P3 P5 P7 P9
b b b b b b

(A3) If P and R are two plane regions and P ⊆ R, then

Area (P ) ≤ Area (R).
Based on rules (A1)-(A3), we can calculate the area of any bounded plane regions. Indeed,
we can approximate it by an increasing sequence of plane regions made out of (smaller and
smaller) rectangles: R1 ⊆ R2 ⊆ ... ⊆ Rn ⊆ Rn+1 ⊆ ... (as well as including it in a decreasing
sequence of plane regions). Then
∞
[
Area ( Rn ) = lim Area (Rn ).
n→∞
n=0

b b
b b b b

b b b b b b

b b b b

b b b b b b

b b
b b
b b
b b

b b b b b b

b b b b

b b b b b b

b b b b
b b

Based on these rules, one can prove:

(0) Area (rectangle of side lengths l and h) = l · h .
p
Indeed, if l and h are natural numbers, use (A2). If l = m
n and h = q , then split a m × p rectangle
p
into nq rectangles of sides l = mn and h = q and use (A2). If l and h are any real numbers, write
them as sequences of rational numbers, and so approximate the l × h rectangle by a sequence of
rectangles with rational side lengths. Then use (A3).

1
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Quite a few ancient and famous theorems can be proven using only the area of a rectangle
and congruent triangles.

(1) Area(ABCD) = 10 cm2 . Find each of the shaded areas. Here AE k BF .

b
D b
E b
C b
F b
D b
C b
E b
F

b
A b
B b
A b
B

Thus you’ve proven the formula for the area of a parallelogram = h · b .

b b

b b

(2) Area(ABCD) = 10 cm2 . In each case find the shaded area.

b
D b
C b
D b
M b
C b
D b
C b
N

b
A b
B b
A b
B b
A b
B

h·b
Thus you’ve proven the formula for the area of a triangle = .
2

b
B

b
A b C b

b b

(3) Area(ABCD) = 10 cm2 . In each case find the total shaded area.
 3

b
D b
C b
D b
C b
D b
C
P Q
O
b b b

A B A B A
b b b b b b B

(4) Here ABCD is a square. Assuming b and c to be some known numbers, find the shaded
area. Simplify your formula as much as possible.

D P C
u b b b

b
Q
b
r

c N
b

A M B
u b b b
u

b c

Thus you’ve proven Pythagora’s Theorem: a2 = b2 + c2 .

a
b

b b

c
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(5) Find the shaded areas in terms of a, b, c and d:

d

u
u
b b b u b b b u

c
b b b b b b u

b b b u b b b
u

u
b

u
u b b b b b b u

c
b b b b b b u

u b b b b b b
u

(6) Find x in each of the following figures:

10
u

u
u b b b u b b b

2 2
b b b b b b
r

3 3

u b b b u b b b
u

u
u

x 4 x

y
(7) Here we know z = 13 . Find x.

u u b b b

y
u b b b

u b b b
u

x
u

10
 5

y x
(8) Some useful algebra: = is equivalent to yt = xz . If these equalities hold, prove that
z t
p
y x x−y x+y y 2 + x2
= = = = √ .
z t t−z z+t z 2 + t2
|AE| |EI| |AI|
(9) Here we know |AB| = yz . Find |BC| and |AC| . You may denote |EI| = x and |BC| = t.

u u b
A b
G b
D

y
u b
E b
I b
F

u b
B b
H b
C

|AB ′ | |AC ′ | |B ′ C ′ |
(10) Here B ′ C ′ k BC. Write |AB| , as well as |AC| and |BC| in terms of y and z.

u u b
A
C′ b

y
u b
B′
y
B′ C′ A

r
b u b

z z

B C Bb u b
C
b u b

The results of this exercise are called Thales’ Theorem:

If B ′ C ′ k BC and ABB ′ is a line, ACC ′ is a line, then
|AB ′ | |AC ′ | |B ′ C ′ |
= = .
|AB| |AC| |BC|
In this case also:
Area(AB ′ C ′ ) |AB ′ |2
= .
Area(ABC) |AB|2
(11) Corollary: Suppose ABB ′ is a line and AB \ \ (Here by convention, angles read
′ C ′ = ABC.
\ = −CBA).
anticlockwise are positive and angles read clockwise are negative, so that ABC \
Assume:
|AB ′ | |B ′ C ′ |
=
|AB| |BC|
then A, C, C ′ are on the same line.
(12) Corollary:
\ = |B\
If ABB ′ is a line and ACC ′ is a line with |BAC| ′ AC ′ | and

|AB ′ | |AC ′ |
=
|AB| |AC|
then B ′ C ′ k BC.
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(13) The Midline Theorem:

If ABC is a triangle and B ′ is the midpoint of the segment AB, and C ′ is the midpoint
of the segment AC, then B ′ C ′ k BC and |B ′ C ′ | = 21 |BC|.
B ′ C ′ is called midline in △ABC.
(14) Let ABC be any triangle, let M be a point on the side BC, and let L be a point on the
line AM . Prove that

Area(ABL) |BM |
= .
Area(ACL) |CM |

You know that a median is the line connecting a vertex of a triangle with the midpoint
of the opposite line.
The exercise above proves in particular the Median Property:
Let ABC be any triangle, let M be a point on the side BC, and let L be any point on
the line AM . Then the triangles △ABL and △ACL have the same area if and only if AM
is median.
(15) Theorem: The Centroid.
Let ABC be any triangle, let G be the intersection of two medians. Then G is also on
the third median.
G is called the Centroid of triangle ABC.
(16) Let ABC be any triangle and G its centroid. Let M be the midpoint of the side BC. Check
that |AG| = 2|M G|.
(17) Theorem: Euler’s line. The orthocentre H, circumcentre O, and centroid G of any
triangle △ABC are collinear and satisfy |HG| = 2|HO|.

A b

b H
b
b
G O
b

M C
B b b b

b
A′

Proof:
a) Let M be the midpoint of the segment BC and let AA′ be the diameter of the circum-
circle of △ABC. Then BHCA′ is a parallelogram.
b) Hence M is the midpoint of segment [HA′ ].
c) Hence G is the centroid of △AHA′ . As such, G is on the median HO and |HG| = 2|HO|
by the Theorem of the Centroid.
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Definition: Similar triangles. Two triangles △ABC and △A′ B ′ C ′ are called similar,
and denoted △ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ , if their respective angles are equal:

 = Â′ , B̂ = B̂ ′ , Ĉ = Ĉ ′ .

b
C′

b
A

b
B b
C

A′
b

b
B′

Theorem: Similar triangles. Similar triangles have proportional sides:

|AB| |AC| |BC|
△ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ ⇐⇒ ′ ′
= ′ ′ = ′ ′ .
|A B | |A C | |B C |
Corollary: Trigonometric functions The trigonometric functions (sin A, cos A, tan A,
cot A, sec A, csc A) depend only on the measure of the angle Â, and are independent on the
triangle in which A is embedded.
Theorem: S.A.S for similar triangles. Two triangles △ABC and △A′ B ′ C ′ satisfy:
|AB| |AC|
△ABC ∼ △A′ B ′ C ′ ⇐⇒ ′ ′
= ′ ′ and  = Â′ .
|A B | |A C |

Other area exercises:

(18) Square EF GH has one vertex on each side of square ABCD. Point E is on AB with
|AE| = 7|EB|. What is the ratio of the area of EF GH to the area of ABCD?
(19) A square ABCD of side length 10 cm, with E, F , G and H the midpoints of the sides BC,
CD, DA and AB respectively, is broken into puzzle pieces by cutting out along a set of
lines. For each of the following three puzzles, find the areas of the pieces and the lengths
of their sides:
(a) The cutting lines are: AF , BG, CH, DE.
(b) The cutting lines are: AE, AC, BF .
(c) The cutting lines are: AE, AC, BF , BD.
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(20) Let n ≥ 4 be an integer. A point X in the interior of a square region R is called n–ray
partitional if there are n rays emanating from X that divide R into n triangles of equal
area. How many points are 100–ray partitional but not 60–ray partitional?
(21) Let ABC be a triangle of area 10 cm2 , and let P denote the midpoint of the side BC.
Consider two points M and N interior to the sides AB and AC respectively, such that
AM = 2M B and CN = 2AN . The lines AP and M N intersect at a point D. Find the
area of the triangle ADN .

Anca Mustata, School of Mathematical Sciences, UCC

E-mail address: a.mustata@ucc.ie