MYSTERIES of the EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE, First Published 2010
MYSTERIES OF THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE Brian J. McCartin Applied Mathematics Kettering University HIKARI LT D HIKARI LTD Hikari Ltd is a publisher of international scientific journals and books. www.m-hikari.com Brian J. McCartin, MYSTERIES OF THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE, First published 2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the publisher Hikari Ltd. ISBN 978-954-91999-5-6 Copyright c 2010 by Brian J. McCartin Typeset using LATEX. Mathematics Subject Classification: 00A08, 00A09, 00A69, 01A05, 01A70, 51M04, 97U40 Keywords: equilateral triangle, history of mathematics, mathematical bi- ography, recreational mathematics, mathematics competitions, applied math- ematics Published by Hikari Ltd Dedicated to our beloved Beta Katzenteufel for completing our equilateral triangle. Euclid and the Equilateral Triangle (Elements: Book I, Proposition 1) Preface v PREFACE Welcome to Mysteries of the Equilateral Triangle (MOTET), my collection of equilateral triangular arcana. While at first sight this might seem an id- iosyncratic choice of subject matter for such a detailed and elaborate study, a moment’s reflection reveals the worthiness of its selection. Human beings, “being as they be”, tend to take for granted some of their greatest discoveries (witness the wheel, fire, language, music,...). In Mathe- matics, the once flourishing topic of Triangle Geometry has turned fallow and fallen out of vogue (although Phil Davis offers us hope that it may be resusci- tated by The Computer [70]). A regrettable casualty of this general decline in prominence has been the Equilateral Triangle. Yet, the facts remain that Mathematics resides at the very core of human civilization, Geometry lies at the structural heart of Mathematics and the Equilateral Triangle provides one of the marble pillars of Geometry.
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