# harmonic division

• If the point $X$ is on the line segment $AB$ and  $XA\!:\!XB=p\!:\!q$,  then $X$ divides $AB$ internally in the ratio $p\!:\!q$.

• If the point $Y$ is on the extension of line segment $AB$ and  $YA\!:\!YB=p\!:\!q$,  then $Y$ divides $AB$ externally in the ratio $p\!:\!q$.

• If $p\!:\!q$ is the same in both cases, then the points $X$ and $Y$ divide $AB$ harmonically in the ratio $p\!:\!q$.

Theorem 1. The bisectors of an angle of a triangle and its linear pair divide the opposite side of the triangle harmonically in the ratio of the adjacent sides.

Theorem 2. If the points $X$ and $Y$ divide the line segment $AB$ harmonically in the ratio $p\!:\!q$, then the circle with diameter the segment $XY$ (the so-called Apollonius’ circle) is the locus of such points whose distances from $A$ and $B$ have the ratio $p\!:\!q$.

The latter theorem may be proved by using analytic geometry.

Title harmonic division HarmonicDivision 2013-03-22 17:34:29 2013-03-22 17:34:29 pahio (2872) pahio (2872) 7 pahio (2872) Definition msc 51N20 msc 51M04 BisectorsTheorem ApolloniusCircle harmonically divide harmonically