Calculate third point of isosceles triangle given two points and distance

fixed points-geometrytriangles

Calculate third point of isosceles triangle given two points and distance
Given values –
givenvalues

Problem image – Isosceles Triangle

My solution to the problem,my solution

After substituting values,
Isosceles Triangle after substituting values

But, I had no idea on how to find the point A(xa, xb)?
please help me to find the solution

Best Answer

In fact, there a way to obtain the coordinates of point $A$ without solving a quadratic equation. See program below (sorry, in Matlab, but so cousin to Python...).

  1. Compute vector $\vec{DB}=\frac12 \vec{CB}=\pmatrix{r_1\\s_1}=\pmatrix{\tfrac12(x_B-x_C)\\ \tfrac12(y_B-y_C)}$ and its norm.

  2. Deduce from this norm the length $\ell$ of altitude $AD$ by using Pythagoras in right triangle $ADB$.

  3. Then, due to vector equation :

$$\vec{DA}=\ell \vec{V} \ \ \iff \ \ A=D+\ell \vec{V}$$

the coordinates of $A$ are :

$$\begin{cases}x_A&=&x_D+ \ell r\\ y_A&=&y_D+ \ell s\end{cases}$$

where midpoint $D$ has coordinates $$D=\pmatrix{\tfrac12(x_B+x_C)\\ \tfrac12(y_B+y_C)} $$

and $V=\pmatrix{r\\s}$ is defined in two steps :

  • first, we set $$ \vec{W} = \pmatrix{-s_1\\r_1}$$

(please note that $\vec{W}$ is an orthogonal vector to vector $\vec{DB}$)

  • then the normalized vector $\vec{V}$ is obtained by dividing $\vec{W}$ by its norm (its length).

Matlab program:

xB=9.48;yB=12.175;xC=9.877;yC=8.591;
xD=(xB+xC)/2;yD=(yB+yC)/2;   % midpoint D
r1=(xC-xB)/2;s1=(yC-yB)/2;   % vector DB
DB=sqrt(r1^2+s1^2);          % length DB
el=sqrt(5^2-DB^2);           % length of altitude AD
Wx=-s1;Wy=r1;                % vector orth. to vector DB
Vx=Wx/DB;Vy=Wy/DB;           % unit vector (length W = length DB)
xA=xD+el*Vx;                 % 14.314
yA=yD+el*Vy;                 % 10.896