Secrets of Triangles: A Mathematical Journey - Hardcover

by Alfred S. Posamentier (Author), Ingmar Lehmann (Author)

Everyone knows what a triangle is, yet very few people appreciate that the common three-sided figure holds many intriguing "secrets." For example, if a circle is inscribed in any random triangle and then three lines are drawn from the three points of tangency to the opposite vertices of the triangle, these lines will always meet at a common point - no matter what the shape of the triangle. This and many more interesting geometrical properties are revealed in this entertaining and illuminating book about geometry. Flying in the face of the common impression that mathematics is usually dry and intimidating, this book proves that this sometimes-daunting, abstract discipline can be both fun and intellectually stimulating. The authors, two veteran math educators, explore the multitude of surprising relationships connected with triangles and show some clever approaches to constructing triangles using a straightedge and a compass. Readers will learn how they can improve their problem-solving skills by performing these triangle constructions. The lines, points, and circles related to triangles harbor countless surprising relationships that are presented here in a very engaging fashion.Requiring no more than a knowledge of high school mathematics and written in clear and accessible language, this book will give all readers a new insight into some of the most enjoyable and fascinating aspects of geometry.

Author Biography

Alfred S. Posamentier is dean of the School of Education and professor of mathematics education at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Previously, he had the same positions at the City College of the City University of New York for forty years. He has published over fifty-five books in the area of mathematics and mathematics education, including The Fabulous Fibonacci Numbers (with Ingmar Lehmann).

Ingmar Lehmann is retired from the mathematics faculty at Humboldt University in Berlin. For many years he led the Berlin Mathematics Student Society for gifted secondary-school students, with which he is still closely engaged today. He is the coauthor with Alfred S. Posamentier of The Secrets of Triangles, The Glorious Golden Ratio, and three other books.