Forum Geometricorum Volume 11 (2011) 251254.
FORUM GEOM ISSN 1534-1178
Golden Sections in a Regular Hexagon
Quang Tuan Bui
Abstract. We relate a golden section associated with a regular hexagon to two recent simple constructions by Hofstetter and Bataille, and give a large number of golden sections of segments in a regular hexagon.
Consider a regular hexagon ABCDEF with center O. Let M be a point on the side BC . An equilateral triangle constructed on AM has its third vertex N on the radius OE , such that ON = BM . Proposition 1. The area of the regular hexagon ABCDEF is 3 times the area of triangle AM N if and only if M divides BC in the golden ratio.
F E
M B P C
Figure 1.
Proof. Let P is midpoint of the minor BC . It is clear that AOP is an isosceles right triangle and AP = 2 AO (see Figure 1). The area of the regular hexagon ABCDEF is three times that of triangle AM N if and only if AM AM N =2 = 2 AM = AP. ABO AO Equivalently, M is an intersection of BC with the circle O(P ). We ll in the circles B (C ), C (B ) and A(P ). These three circles execute exactly Hofstetters division of the segment BC in the golden ratio at the point M [2] (see Figure 2).1
Publication Date: December 5, 2011. Communicating Editor: Paul Yiu. 1Hofstetter has subsequently noted [3] that this construction was known to E. Lemoine and J. Reusch one century ago.
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Q. T. Bui
M B P C
Figure 2.
Since triangles AON and ABM are congruent, N also divides OE in the golden ratio. This fact also follows independently from a construction given by M. Bataille. Let Q be the antipodal point of P , and complete the square AOQR. According to [1], O divides BN in the golden ratio. Since O is the midpoint of BE , it follows easily that N divides OE in the golden ratio as well.
R F Q E
B P
Figure 3.
Golden sections in a regular hexagon
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Proposition 2. The sides of the equilateral triangle AM N are divided in the golden ratio as follows. Directed segment divided by in golden ratio at MN OD An
F
NM OC Am
AM OB Nm
Q
AN OF Mn
NA MA BF perp. from O to AB Ma Na
E
N Mn Ma An A O D
Am Na Nm
B P
Figure 4
Proposition 3. Each of the six points Am , An , Mn , Ma , Na , Nm divides a segment, apart from the sides of the equilateral triangle AM N , in the golden ratio. Point Segment Am An Mn Ma CO AD F O BF
Q F E
Na Nm SR OB
Here, S is the midpoint of ONa .
N Mn Ma O A S Na R Nm An D
Am
B P
Figure 5.
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Proposition 4. The segments Na Ma , Nm Am and Mn An are divided in the golden ratio by the lines OA, OP , OE respectively.
Q F E
N Mn Ma O A An D
Am Na Nm
B P
Figure 6.
References
[1] M. Bataille, Another simple construction of the golden section, Forum Geom., 11 (2011) 55. [2] K. Hofstetter, A 5-step division of a segment in the golden section, Forum Geom., 3 (2003) 205206. [3] K. Hofstetter, Another 5-step division of a segment in the golden section, Forum Geom., 4 (2004) 2122. Quang Tuan Bui: 45B, 296/86 by-street, Minh Khai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam E-mail address: [email protected]
