Intersecting secants theorem

Geometry theorem relating line segments created by intersecting secants of a circle

{\displaystyle \triangle PAC\sim \triangle PBD} — $\triangle PAC\sim \triangle PBD$
yields
$|PA|\cdot |PD|=|PB|\cdot |PC|$

In Euclidean geometry, the intersecting secants theorem or just secant theorem describes the relation of line segments created by two intersecting secants and the associated circle.

For two lines AD and BC that intersect each other at P and for which A, B, C, D all lie on the same circle, the following equation holds:

|PA|\cdot |PD|=|PB|\cdot |PC|

The theorem follows directly from the fact that the triangles △PAC and △PBD are similar. They share ∠DPC and ∠ADB = ∠ACB as they are inscribed angles over AB. The similarity yields an equation for ratios which is equivalent to the equation of the theorem given above:

{\frac {PA}{PC}}={\frac {PB}{PD}}\Leftrightarrow |PA|\cdot |PD|=|PB|\cdot |PC|

Next to the intersecting chords theorem and the tangent-secant theorem, the intersecting secants theorem represents one of the three basic cases of a more general theorem about two intersecting lines and a circle - the power of point theorem.

References

S. Gottwald: The VNR Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics. Springer, 2012, ISBN 9789401169820, pp. 175-176
Michael L. O'Leary: Revolutions in Geometry. Wiley, 2010, ISBN 9780470591796, p. 161
Schülerduden - Mathematik I. Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus, 8. Auflage, Mannheim 2008, ISBN 978-3-411-04208-1, pp. 415-417 (German)

External links

Secant Secant Theorem at proofwiki.org
Power of a Point Theorem auf cut-the-knot.org
Weisstein, Eric W. "Chord". MathWorld.

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In Elements	Angle bisector theorem Exterior angle theorem Euclidean algorithm Euclid's theorem Geometric mean theorem Greek geometric algebra Hinge theorem Inscribed angle theorem Intercept theorem Intersecting chords theorem Intersecting secants theorem Law of cosines Pons asinorum Pythagorean theorem Tangent-secant theorem Thales's theorem Theorem of the gnomon
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