Line segment joining the vertex of a triangle to its opposite side.
Properties
In triangles, altitudes, medians and angle bisectors are special types of cevians.
- The length of a cevian can be determined by using the formula:
\(b^{2}m+c^{2}n = a(d^{2}+mn)\)
- If the cevian is an altitude, its length is given by the formula:
\(d^{2}=b^{2}-n^{2}=c^{2}-m^{2}\). - If the cevian is a median, its length is given by the formula:
\(m(b^{2}+c^{2})=a(d^{2}+m^{2})\). - If the cevian is a bisector, its length is given by the formula:
\({(b+c)}^{2}=a^{2}(\frac{d^{2}}{mn}+1)\).
Historical Note
The term cervian is named for Italian mathematician Giovanni Ceva, who proved a theorem about cevians that also bears his name.