The Art of Coordinate Bashing

Beckman Math Club

“All Geometry is Algebra”

-Anonymous Mathematician

1 Introduction
Coordinate bashing is a technique that allows one to solve problems in geometry by putting the
geometric construction in question onto a coordinate plane, and using formulae from coordinate
geometry to solve for the requested quantity. In this way, the technique can transform a synthetic
geometry problem into one of algebra.

It’s usually the most useful for finding intersections and lengths. However, it’s not so good
for these situations:
• Lots of circles. One or two is fine; many become messy.
• Problems where no concrete lengths are given (ex. problem only gives areas or angles)

2 Formulae
We give a list of formulae that are helpful in coordinate geometry, but is certainly not comprehensive.
Also note that many concepts from synthetic geometry can also be applied to simplify coordinate
bashes significantly.
• Equations of line connecting point (x1 , y1 ) and point (x2 , y2 ) :
−y1
y = m(x − x1 ) + y1 , where m = xy22 −x 1
is the slope of the line.
• Distance
p between point (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) :
d = (x2 − x1 )2 + (y2 − y1 )2
• Midpoint between
point (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ) :
2 y1 +y2
M = x1 +x
2 , 2

• Equation of circle with radius r and center (a, b) :

(x − a)2 + (y − b)2 = r2 .
• Formula for perpendicular line
m1 m2 = −1, where m1 , m2 are the slopes of the two lines that are perpendicular.
• Slope of a line that passes through the origin:
m = tan θ, where θ is the angle the line makes with the x-axis.
• Area of a triangle from coordinates (x1 , y1 ), (x2 , y2 ), (x3 , y3 ):
 x 1 y1 1 
A = 2 x2 y2 1 = 12 |x1 y2 + x3 y1 + x2 y3 − x3 y2 − x1 y3 − x2 y1 |
1
 
x3 y3 1

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3 Examples
The best way to show this art is through examples. Hence, we present some below:
Note: It is highly recommended to follow along the solutions with diagrams of one’s own, since the
author was too lazy to include diagrams himself.

Example 3.1
(PUMAC 2016) Let ABCD be a square with side length 8. Let M be the midpoint of BC
and let ω be the circle passing through M , A, and D. Let O be the center of ω, X be the
intersection point (besides A) of ω with AB, and Y be the intersection point of OX and AM .
Find the length OY .

We put the whole construction on a coordinate plane. Let A = (0, 0), B = (8, 0), C = (8, 8), D =
(0, 8). Then the circle passes through the points (0, 0), (0, 8), and (8, 4). By symmetry, we know that
O must be on the line y = 4 since it is equidistant to (0, 0) and (0, 8).

Let O = √ (t, 4), and since it is the center, we know that OA = OC. Since OC = 8 − t and
OA = t2 + 42 , we can solve for t to find that t2 + 16 √ = 64 − 16t + t2 =⇒ t = 3. Hence

O = (3, 4). This means that the radius of the circle is 32 + 42 = 5, and hence it has equation
(x − 3)2 + (y − 4)2 = 25.

The line AB is simply the line with y = 0, hence the point X can be found by substituting
y = 0 into the equation of the circle. We then find (x − 3)2 + 16 = 25 =⇒ x = 3 ± 3. Since we
know that X 6= A, we take the positive sign, which means X = (6, 0).

The line OX is the line connecting (3, 4) and (6, 0), or y = − 43 (x − 3) + 4 = 8 − 43 x. The line AM is
the line connecting (0, 0) and (8, 4), or y = 12 x. Setting these equal to find the intersection point, we
find that 21 x = 8 − 34 x =⇒ x = 1 +8 4 = 1148
. This means that y = 12 · 48 24 48 24
11 = 11 , hence Y = ( 11 , 11 )
2 3
q q
48 2
Finally, we find OY = (3 − 11 ) + (4 − 24 11 )2 = 1
112
25
(152 + 202 ) = 11 .

Example 3.2
(AMC 2004 10B) In the right triangle 4ACE, we have AC = 12, CE = 16, and EA = 20.
Points B, D, and F are located on AC, CE, and EA, respectively, so that AB = 3, CD = 4,
and EF = 5. What is the ratio of the area of 4DBF to that of 4ACE?

We put A = (0, 12), C = (0, 0), E = (16, 0). By the conditions given, we also know that B =
(0, 9), D = (4, 0), and F is somewhere along EA. Since we know that the total length of EA equals
5
20 and EF is 5 units away, we can conclude that EF is 20 = 14 the distance between A and E.
3 1
Hence F = 4 (16, 0) + 4 (0, 12) = (12, 3).

Since ACE is a right triangle, we can find its area as 12·16

2 = 96. Now, we can use the area
formula to find the area of DBF :
 
 0 9 1
1   1
A =  4 0 1 = |0 + 9 · 12 + 4 · 3 − 0 − 0 − 36| = 42
2 2
12 3 1
42 7
Hence their ratio is 96 = 16 .

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Example 3.3
(AMC 2005 10B) Equilateral 4ABC has side length 2, M is the midpoint of AC, and C is the
midpoint of BD. What is the area of 4CDM ?

Like always, we place the triangle onto the coordinate plane.√ Let B = (−1, 0),√
C = (1, 0). Since
the triangle is equilateral, we can find that the height is 3. Hence A = (0, 3). This means
1
√ 1 1
√
3
that M = 2 (0, 3) + 2 (1, 0) = ( 2 , 2 ). Also, since C is the midpoint of BD, we know that
1 1
2 (−1, 0) + 2 D = (1, 0) =⇒ D = (3, 0).

Now we use the area formula to find that

√
1 1  3√3 √3  √3
 
1 3  
1  2 2
A = 1 0 1 =  − =
 
2 2  2 2  2
3 0 1 

Example 3.4
(AMC 2004 10B) A triangle with sides of 5, 12, and 13 has both an inscribed and a circumscribed
circle. What is the distance between the centers of those circles?

We use the following facts from synthetic geometry:

• For a right triangle, the circumcircle has center at the midpoint of the hypotenuse.

• The area of any triangle is given by the formula A = r · P

2, where r is the inradius and P is
the perimeter.

We put A = (0, 0), B = (5, 0), C = (0, 12). By the first fact, we know that the circumcircle’s center
is the midpoint of BC, i.e. ( 52 , 6).

We can also calculate the area of the triangle as 12 · 5 · 12 = 30 since the triangle is right. But
we also know that A = r · P2 =⇒ r = 2A 2·30
P . We can calculate P = 5 + 12 + 13 = 30, hence r = 30 = 2.

Now, since the incircle is tangent to the two legs of the triangle, we must have that the in-
circle’s center is (2, 2) such that it only intersects AB and AC once.
q √
Hence the distance we seek is ( 52 − 2)2 + (6 − 2)2 = 265 .

Example 3.5
(AMC 2008 10A) A cube with side length 1 is sliced by a plane that passes through two
diagonally opposite vertices A and C and the midpoints B and D of two opposite edges not
containing A or C. What is the area of quadrilateral ABCD?

Let A = (0, 0, 0), B = (0, 1, 21 ), C = (1, 1, 1), D = (1, 0, 12 ). By symmetry, we know that the area of
√
ABCD is twice the area of ABD. By the distance formula, we know that BD = 12 + 02 + 12 .
The height of this
q triangle is the length from A to the midpoint of BD, since the triangle is isosceles.
2 2 2
√ √ √ √
This length is 12 + 21 + 12 = 23 . Hence the area of ABCD is equal to 23 · 2 = 26 .

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4 Exercises
√ √
1. Let ABC be a triangle with D on BC. Suppose AB = 2, AC = 3, ∠BAD = 30◦ ,
∠CAD = 45◦ . Find AD.

2. (AMC 2009 10B) Rectangle ABCD has AB = 8 and BC = 6. Point M is the midpoint of
diagonal AC, and E is on AB with M E ⊥ AC. What is the area of 4AM E?

3. (AMC 2018 10B) Let ABCDEF be a regular hexagon with side length 1. Denote by X, Y ,
and Z the midpoints of sides AB, CD, and EF , respectively. What is the area of the convex
hexagon whose interior is the intersection of the interiors of 4ACE and 4XY Z?

4. (PUMAC 2017) Triangle ABC has AB = BC = 10 and CA = 16. The circle Ω is drawn with
diameter BC. Ω meets AC at points C and D. Find the area of triangle ABD.

5. (PUMAC 2012) Two circles centered at O and P have radii of length 5 and 6 respectively.
Circle O passes through point P . Let the intersection points of circles O and P be M and N .
Find the area of triangle M N P.

6. (PUMAC 2018) Triangle ABC has ∠A = 90◦ , ∠C = 30◦ , and AC = 12. Let the circumcircle of
this triangle be ω. Define D to be the point on arc BC not containing A so that ∠CAD = 60◦ .
Define points E and F to be the foots of the perpendiculars from D to lines AB and AC,
respectively. Let J be the intersection of line EF with ω, where J is on the minor arc AC.
The line DF intersects W at H other than at D. Find the area of the triangle F HJ.

7. (PUMAC 2018) Consider rectangle ABCD with AB = 30 and BC = 60. Construct circle T
whose diameter is AD. Construct circle S whose diameter is AB. Let circles T and S intersect
at P , so that P 6= A. Let AP intersect BC at E. Let F be the point on AB so that EF is
tangent to the circle with diameter AD. Find the area of triangle AEF .

Numeric Answers
√
6
1. 2

2. 75
8

15
√
3. 32
3

4. 24

5. 432
25

2(
√ √
6. 3
15 − 3)

7. 75 or 225, depending on interpretation.