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TheoremProved

The three medians concur at the centroid

Statement

In any triangle △ABC\triangle ABC with medians AMAM, BNBN, CPCP, all three medians pass through the single point G=(xA+xB+xC3, yA+yB+yC3)G = \left(\dfrac{x_A + x_B + x_C}{3},\, \dfrac{y_A + y_B + y_C}{3}\right), which divides each median in the ratio 2:12:1 from the vertex (AG=23AMAG = \dfrac{2}{3} AM).

Why is it true?

Three random lines in a plane almost never pass through the same point — they form a small triangle instead. Seeing that the formula for the point 23\dfrac{2}{3} of the way along AMAM comes out completely symmetric in AA, BB, CC explains in one stroke why all three medians must hit the exact same spot.

Proof sketch

Step 1 (midpoint coordinates). Place △ABC\triangle ABC in a coordinate plane with vertices AA, BB, CC. The midpoint MM of side BCBC is the average of BB and CC: M=(xB+xC2, yB+yC2)M = \left(\dfrac{x_B+x_C}{2},\, \dfrac{y_B+y_C}{2}\right).

Step 2 (point two-thirds along AMAM). Move from AA toward MM by 23\dfrac{2}{3} of the segment AMAM: the resulting point is A+23(M−A)=13A+23⋅B+C2=A+B+C3A + \dfrac{2}{3}(M - A) = \dfrac{1}{3}A + \dfrac{2}{3}\cdot\dfrac{B+C}{2} = \dfrac{A+B+C}{3}, giving coordinates G=(xA+xB+xC3, yA+yB+yC3)G = \left(\dfrac{x_A + x_B + x_C}{3},\, \dfrac{y_A + y_B + y_C}{3}\right).

Step 3 (symmetry forces concurrency). Notice that the final formula G=(xA+xB+xC3, yA+yB+yC3)G = \left(\dfrac{x_A + x_B + x_C}{3},\, \dfrac{y_A + y_B + y_C}{3}\right) is completely symmetric in AA, BB, CC — swapping the roles of AA and BB (to find the point 23\dfrac{2}{3} of the way along median BNBN) or of AA and CC (along CPCP) produces the exact same point GG. Therefore all three medians pass through GG, and GG lies 23\dfrac{2}{3} of the way from each vertex to the opposite midpoint (AG=23AMAG = \dfrac{2}{3} AM).

Topics that use this theorem

Step-by-step proofs

No step-by-step proof yet for this theorem.

References

  1. H. S. M. Coxeter, S. L. Greitzer (1967). Geometry Revisited
  2. Euclid (trans. Thomas L. Heath) (1956). Euclid's Elements (Books I–XIII)