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    An Elementary Proof of The Isoperimetric Inequality - Forum Geometricorum

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    Alex Yu
    1) The document presents an elementary proof of the isoperimetric inequality for polygons, which states that for any polygon with perimeter L and area A, L^2 ≥ 4πA. 2) The proof simplifies an earlier proof given by T. Bonnesen. 3) It proves the inequality for a convex polygon by constructing circles and parallelograms around the polygon and showing that the area of the polygon must be less than or equal to half the area of the enclosing circle.

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    An Elementary Proof of The Isoperimetric Inequality - Forum Geometricorum

    Uploaded by

    Alex Yu
    125 views2 pages
    1) The document presents an elementary proof of the isoperimetric inequality for polygons, which states that for any polygon with perimeter L and area A, L^2 ≥ 4πA. 2) The proof simplifies an earlier proof given by T. Bonnesen. 3) It proves the inequality for a convex polygon by constructing circles and parallelograms around the polygon and showing that the area of the polygon must be less than or equal to half the area of the enclosing circle.

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    A proof of the isoperimetric inequality

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    An Elementary Proof of the Isoperimetric Inequality - Forum Geometricorum

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    1) The document presents an elementary proof of the isoperimetric inequality for polygons, which states that for any polygon with perimeter L and area A, L^2 ≥ 4πA. 2) The proof simplifies an earlier proof given by T. Bonnesen. 3) It proves the inequality for a convex polygon by constructing circles and parallelograms around the polygon and showing that the area of the polygon must be less than or equal to half the area of the enclosing circle.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    125 views2 pages

    An Elementary Proof of The Isoperimetric Inequality - Forum Geometricorum

    Uploaded by

    Alex Yu
    1) The document presents an elementary proof of the isoperimetric inequality for polygons, which states that for any polygon with perimeter L and area A, L^2 ≥ 4πA. 2) The proof simplifies an earlier proof given by T. Bonnesen. 3) It proves the inequality for a convex polygon by constructing circles and parallelograms around the polygon and showing that the area of the polygon must be less than or equal to half the area of the enclosing circle.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    b

    Forum Geometricorum
    Volume 2 (2002) 129130. b b

    FORUM GEOM
    ISSN 1534-1178

    An Elementary Proof of the Isoperimetric Inequality

    Nikolaos Dergiades

    Abstract. We give an elementary proof of the isoperimetric inequality for poly-


    gons, simplifying the proof given by T. Bonnesen.

    We present an elementary proof of the known inequality L2 4A, where L


    and A are the perimeter and the area of a polygon. It simplifies the proof given by
    T. Bonnesen [1, 2].
    Theorem. In every polygon with perimeter L and area A we have L2 4A.
    Proof. It is sufficient to prove the inequality for a convex polygon ABM Z.
    From the vertex A of the polygon we can draw the segment AQ dividing the poly-
    gon in two polygons such that
    (1) AB + BM + + P Q = L2 , and
    (2) the area A1 of the polygon ABM P QA satisfies A1 A2 .

    Q P N

    N di

    M
    ai
    hi
    O M

    Z A
    
    A

    Figure 1

    Let O be the mid-point of AQ, and let M be the vertex of ABM P QA


    farthest from O, with OM = R. Draw the circle (O, R), and from the points A and
    Q draw perpendiculars to OM to meet the circle at A , Q respectively. Because
    of symmetry, the part of the circle AA M Q QA has area S equal to half of the
    area of the circle, i.e., S = 12 R2 . Outside the polygon ABM P Q construct
    parallelograms touching the circle, with bases the sides such as M N = ai and
    Publication Date: October 28, 2002. Communicating Editor: Michael Lambrou.
    130 N. Dergiades

    other sides parallel to AA . If hi is the altitude of triangle OM N and di is the


    height of the parallelogram M M N  N , then hi + di = R. Note that A1 is the sum
    of the areas of triangles OAB, . . . , OM N , . . . , OP Q, i.e.,
    1
    A1 = ai hi .
    2
    i
    If we denote by A2 the sum of the areas of the parallelograms, we have
      L
    A2 = ai di = ai (R hi ) = R 2A1 .
    2
    i i

    Since A1 + A2 S, we have R A1 12 R2 , and so R2 LR + 2A1 0.


    L
    2
    Rewriting this as
       2 
    L 2 L
    R 2A1 0,
    2 4
    we conclude that L2 4 2A1 4A. 
    The above inequality, by means of limits can be extended to a closed curve.
    Since for the circle the inequality becomes equality, we conclude that of all closed
    curves with constant perimeter L, the curve that contains the maximum area is the
    circle.

    References
    [1] T. Bonnesen, Les Problemes des Isoperimetres et des Isepiphanes, Paris, Gauthier-Villars 1929;
    pp. 59-61.
    [2] T. Bonnesen and W. Fenchel, Theorie der Convexen Korper, Chelsea Publishing, New York,
    1948; S.111-112.

    Nikolaos Dergiades: I. Zanna 27, Thessaloniki 54643, Greece


    E-mail address: [email protected]

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