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Let $p$, $q$, $r$, be the slopes of sides of a triangle, and $m$ the slope of Euler line of the triangle. Then we may say

$$m= -\frac{3+pq+pr+qr}{p+q+r+3pqr}$$

provided that the denominator isn't zero. If it's zero the euler line of the triangle is parallel to $y$ axis.

I would like hints for proving this formula.

Blue
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MrDudulex
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  • Look Lemma 1 in http://forumgeom.fau.edu/FG2013volume13/FG201318.pdf – SMM Sep 11 '18 at 07:25
  • Nice...but lemma 1 proof in this 2013 paper seems sloppy. He made an restricted assumption/constraint that angles B and C are acute and $m_3>m_1>m_2$. – MrDudulex Sep 11 '18 at 13:26
  • And besides that, why $tan(HOS)=(m_1-m_E)/(1+m_1.mE)$ and not the same expression with opposite sign? We need a better demonstration, without unproven assumptions. – MrDudulex Sep 11 '18 at 13:33
  • Some more food for thought: perhaps a better way to figure out Euler line slope is calculating the slope of radical axis of nine pont circle and circumscribed circle, because these lines are perpendicular to each other. In trilinear coordinates the equation of this radicalaxis is straightforward: $cosA.\alpha+cosB.\beta+cosC.\gamma=0$. Does anyone know how to extract a cartesian equation therefrom? – MrDudulex Sep 11 '18 at 14:00

2 Answers2

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You can use vectors to prove this. Let $ABC$ be the triangle, $p,q,r$ slopes of $BC,AC,AB$, respectively. Note that $\overrightarrow{BC},\overrightarrow{CA},\overrightarrow{AB}$ are respectively parallel to $(1,p),(1,q),(1,r)$. By taking into account the triangle rule $\overrightarrow{AB}+\overrightarrow{BC}+\overrightarrow{CA}=\overrightarrow{0}$, we may assume: \begin{align} \overrightarrow{BC}= (q-r,p(q-r)),\\ \overrightarrow{CA}= (r-p,q(r-p)),\\ \overrightarrow{AB}= (p-q,r(p-q)).\\ \end{align}

Let $T$ be the centroid. We know that $\overrightarrow{AT}= \frac{1}{3}(\overrightarrow{AB}+\overrightarrow{AC})= \frac{1}{3}(2p-q-r,pq+pr-2qr)$.

Let $H$ be the orthocenter. $\overrightarrow{AH}$ is parallel to $\overrightarrow{n_{BC}}:(-p(q-r),q-r)$ and $\overrightarrow{BH}$ is parallel to $\overrightarrow{n_{AC}}:(-q(r-p),r-p)$, so we can write: \begin{align} \overrightarrow{AH}=\alpha(-p(q-r),q-r),\\ \overrightarrow{BH}=\beta(-q(r-p),r-p). \end{align} Since $\overrightarrow{AB}= \overrightarrow{AH}-\overrightarrow{BH}$, we have: \begin{align} -\alpha\ p(q-r)+\beta\ q(r-p) = p-q,\\ \alpha(q-r)-\beta(r-p) =r(p-q). \end{align} Multiply the second equation by $q$ and add it to the first one to get: $\alpha(q-p)(q-r)=(qr+1)(p-q)$, wherefrom $\alpha=-\frac{qr+1}{q-r}$. So: $$\overrightarrow{AH}= -\frac{qr+1}{q-r}(-p(q-r),q-r)= (pqr+p, -1-qr).$$ Now $\overrightarrow{HT}= \overrightarrow{AT}- \overrightarrow{AH}=$ $$=\frac{1}{3}(2p-q-r,pq+pr-2qr)-\frac{1}{3}(3pqr+3p, -3-3qr)= \frac{1}{3}(-p-q-r-3pqr,3+pq+qr+rp).$$ The slope of the Euler line is thus equal to: $$-\frac{3+pq+qr+rp}{p+q+r+3pqr}.$$

SMM
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  • the slope of radical axis of nine point circle and circumcircle of a triangle is $(p+q+r+3pqr)/(3+pq+pr+qr)$
  • – MrDudulex Sep 11 '18 at 15:23
  • @MrDudulex Yes, you are right. – SMM Sep 11 '18 at 17:49