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#1 2005-08-09 16:48:32
- NeoXtremeX
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help with Inequality
The sum of the lengths of any two sides is greater than the lenght of the third side. in triangle ABC, BC = 4 and AC = 8 - AB. Write an inequality for AB.
Help?
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#2 2005-08-09 17:19:28
- Jai Ganesh
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Re: help with Inequality
The Triangle inequality is
AB + BC > AC
AC + BC > AB
AB + AC > BC
You have given BC=4 and AC = 8 - AB
Therefore, the required inequality is
AB < BC + AC
AB < BC + 8 - AB
2 AB < BC + 8
AB < (BC + 8)/2
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#3 2005-08-09 20:04:40
- mathsyperson
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Re: help with Inequality
Ganesh is right, but as BC=4, it can be continued further:
AB < (4+8)/2
AB < 12/2
AB < 6
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
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#4 2005-08-09 21:05:37
- wcy
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Re: help with Inequality
How do we prove that the sum of the lengths of any two sides is greater than the lenght of the third side in the first place?
Just interested.
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#5 2005-08-09 21:14:47
- mathsyperson
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Re: help with Inequality
Try disproving it and fail. Just try drawing a triangle with lengths of 2, 3 and 6. The 2 and 3 are too short and too far apart to be able to join up.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
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#6 2005-08-09 23:48:04
- Jai Ganesh
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Re: help with Inequality
Lets take the length of sides Mathsy has given.
The Hero's formula for area of a triangle is
Area = √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)
where a, b, c are the sides and s = (a+b+c)/2
Therefore, Area = √[(11/2)(11/2 - 2)(11/2 - 3) (11/2 - 6)]
11/2 - 6 is a negative number,
So the Area of the triangle is an imaginary number 
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#7 2005-08-10 00:06:08
- MathsIsFun
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Re: help with Inequality
Ooohh ... so you CAN have one side of a triangle longer than the other two, it just somehow slips into imaginary space ... 
Or not ... 
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#8 2005-08-10 00:06:20
- wcy
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Re: help with Inequality
here is a proof for right angled triangle:
by pythagoras theorem,
a²+b²=c²
c=√(a²+b²) ----(1)
(a+b)²=a²+2ab+b²
a+b=√(a²+2ab+b²) ----(2)
comparing (1) and (2),
one can see that
a+b>c
Last edited by wcy (2005-08-10 00:07:00)
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#9 2005-08-10 12:35:14
- wcy
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Re: help with Inequality
The sum of the lengths of any two sides is greater than the lenght of the third side.
For all triangles,
by cosine rule,
c²=a²+b²-2abcosC
(a+b)²=a²+2ab+b²
a+b=√(a²+2ab+b²)
c=√(a²+b²-2abcosC)
now, a+b is definitely larger than c, as the maximum possible value of -2abcosC is less than 2ab, as angle C is smaller than 180 but larger than 0.
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