Problem:
Let be a convex quadrilateral, a point on segment , the point of intersection of with . It is known that , , , , . What is the length of segment ?
Problem:
Let be a convex quadrilateral, a point on segment , the point of intersection of with . It is known that , , , , . What is the length of segment ?
Solution:
The answer is . Extend segment beyond , and on this extension consider the point , such that . The angle is equal to the angle , since they are vertical angles by construction, so triangles and are similar and, in particular, congruent, since they have two pairs of equal sides ( and ) and the included angle equal (). Since the two triangles are congruent, we have that , being corresponding sides, and likewise being corresponding angles. We also have since they are vertical angles, so triangle is isosceles with two angles of , and thus in particular it is right-angled at . We can therefore compute the length of its hypotenuse: . By subtraction we then obtain .