Proof #63
This is another proof by Floor van Lamoen; Floor has been led to the proof via Bottema's theorem. However, the theorem is not actually needed to carry out the proof.
In the figure, M is the center of square ABA'B'. Triangle AB'C' is a rotation of triangle ABC. So we see that B' lies on C'B''. Similarly, A' lies on A''C''. Both AA'' and BB'' equal a + b. Thus the distance from M to A''C'' as well as to B'C' is equal to (a + b)/2. This gives
Area(AMB'C') = Area(MAC') + Area(MB'C')
= (a + b)/2 · b/2 + (a + b)/2 · a/2
= a²/4 + ab/2 + b²/4.
But also:
Area(AMB'C') = Area(AMB') + Area(AB'C')
= c²/4 + ab/2.
This yields a²/4 + b²/4 = c²/4 and the Pythagorean theorem.
The basic configuration has been exploited by B. F. Yanney and J. A. Calderhead (Am Math Monthly, v.4, n 10, (1987), 250-251) to produce several proofs based on the following diagrams
None of their proofs made use of the centrality of point M.