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In a triangle, which one of these triples of lines need NOT pass through a single common point?

Competition practiceGeometry
  • AThe three medians
  • BThe three altitudes, produced beyond the triangle if necessary
  • CThe three internal angle bisectors
  • DThe three cevians AD, BE and CF drawn so that BD : DC = CE : EA = AF : FB = 1 : 2

Step-by-Step Solution

Ceva's theorem says AD, BE and CF are concurrent exactly when (BD/DC) × (CE/EA) × (AF/FB) = 1. For the medians every ratio is 1, so the product is 1 and they meet at the centroid. For the internal bisectors the ratios are c/b, a/c and b/a, whose product is again 1, giving the incentre. The altitudes always meet at the orthocentre, outside the triangle when it is obtuse. But the last triple gives (1/2) × (1/2) × (1/2) = 1/8, which is not 1, so those three cevians bound a small triangle instead of meeting at a point.
Answer: D) The three cevians AD, BE and CF drawn so that BD : DC = CE : EA = AF : FB = 1 : 2

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