91.

Fermats Problem for Torricelli

Find the point the sum of whose distances from the vertices of a given triangle is
a mininum.
This famous problem was proposed by the French mathematician Fermat (1601-1665)
to the Italian physicist Torricelli (1608-1647), the famous student of Galileo. Torricelli solved
it in several ways.
The answer is
Theorem
1.

2.

If all angles in dABC are less than 120 ( , the point O that minimizes the sum
of its distances from vertices A, B, C is the that point inside dABC at which
0AOB  0BOC  0COA  120 ( .
If some angle of dABC is 120 ( or more, say the angle at C, then O  C.
C
C
O
A

B
m AC B = 123.34

The simplest solution uses

Vivianis Theorem: In an equilateral triangle, the sum of the three distances of a point
from the sides has a value independent of the position of the point. This value is the
altiltude of the triangle. (Viviani (1622-1703), an Italian mathematician and physicist,
was a student of Galileo and Torricelli.)
Proof. The distance of a point from a side is positive when the point and the triangle lie in
the same half plane of the side. Let dPQR be the equilateral triangle with side g,
altitude h and area J. If x, y, z are the (signed) distances of an arbitrary point O from
(lines) QR, RP, PQ resepectively,

x
O

R
y

x>0, y<0, z>0

z

then upon recognizing dPQR as odOQR o dORP o dOPQ, we get

J  12 gx  12 gy  12 gz and thus 2Jg  x  y  z, but J  12 gh, so x  y  z  h as
R
asserted.
Note If we use undirected (positive) distances, then x  y  z  h for O inside (or on the
boundary of) dPQR, and x  y  z  h for O outside dPQR.
Proof of the Theorem Let dABC be any triangle.
1.

If all angles are less than 120 ( , let O be the point inside dABC at which
0AOB  0BOC  0COA  120 ( . (See the notes at the end for several
ways to construct this point.) The three lines perpendicular to OA, OB and
OC form an equilateral triangle dPQR :
P
C
Q
O

(since for instance in quadrilateral OARB, 120 (  90 (  0R  90 (  360 ( and

0R  60 ( ). Now let O U be any other point and O U A U QR, O U B U RP,
O U C U PQ with A U , B U , C U on lines QR, RP, PQ respectively.

C'
C
O'

B'
O

A
A'

Then A U O U t AO U , B U O U t BO U , C U O U t CO U and equality does not hold in all

three. Then A U O U  B U O U  C U O U  AO U  BO U  CO U . By Vivianis Theorem,
AO  BO  CO  A U O U  B U O U  C U O U for O U inside dPQR and
AO  BO  CO  A U O U  B U O U  C U O U for O U outside dPQR (using
non-negative distances). Thus AO  BO  CO  AO U  BO U  CO U , and O is
the point at which AO  BO  CO is smallest.
2.

In this case, we have to show that AC  BC  AU  BU  CU for any point

U p C. Let 0ACB  + u 120 ( , 0ACU  2 and 0BCU  I. Then
2  I  +, 2 " I  +, 2  I  360 ( " + or I " 2  + depending on where U is:

+ =360o -

-=

-=

U
+ =

Let F and G be base points of the perpendiculars from U to AC and BC, at

distances x and y from C respectively.

+=360o-

-=
F

-=

G
B

U
+=

x  CU cos 2 and y  CU cos I, so x or y is treated as a negative number if

cos 2  0 or cos I  0. In all cases, however, we have
AC  AF  x and BC  BG  y.
(Note that AF might be negative, if for example A is between F and C.
Thus we have
AC  BC  AF  BG  x  y.
Now
x  y  CU cos 2  CU cos I

 CUcos 2  cos I
 2  CU  cos 22I cos
2I

2"I

I"2

2I

2"I
2

.
+

Since 2  2 , 2  2 , 2  2 , or 2  180 ( " 2 and + u 120 ( , one

of the cosines above less than 12 and thus x  y t CU. Hence it follows
that AC  BC t AF  GB  CU  AU  BU  CU (since dAUF and dBUG are
R
right triangles with hypotenuses AU and BU).
Note 1. Construct equilateral triangles dACD and dBCE outwardly on sides AC and BC of
dABC.

O
A

Let O  BD 9 AE. To show that O has the required properties, first of all notice that
quadrilaterals ABCD and ABEC are convex, and this implies that O is inside dABC.
Next dDCB S dACE (SAS), and rotation about C through 60 ( takes dDCB to dACE.
Since DB goes to AE, 0DOA  60 ( and 0DOE  120 ( . O goes to some point P on
AE with CP  CO, 0OCP  60 ( , and hence dCOP is equilateral, and 0COE  60 ( . It
follows that 0AOC  120 ( . Then 0BOC  120 ( too, and finally 0AOB  120 ( also.
Note 2. Each of the quadrilaterals AOCD and BOCE are cyclic quadrilaterals, since
opposite angles are supplementary, and it follows that O is the point of intersection
of the circumcircles of dACD and dBCE different from C, or
Note 3. O is also the intersection of the three circumcircles of equilateral triangles
constructed outwardly on the sides of dABC. (It does not seem easy though to use
this last characterization of O to explain why O lies inside dABC. )