Geometry with coordinates

Point P = [P x, P y], coordinates P x and P y,

origin O = [0, 0]
Distance between points P = [P x, P y] and
Q = [Qx, Qy]
q
PQ = (Qx − P x)2 + (Qy − P y)2
Ex: if P = [3, 2] and Q = [7, 5], then
q √
PQ = (7 − 3)2 + (5 − 2)2 = 25 = 5
Ex: the intersection point P of the medians
AD, BE and CF of a triangle ABC

(D, E ja F are the middle points of the sides)

Coordinates

Dx = 1
2 (Bx + Cx), Dy = 1 (By + Cy)
2

Ex = 1
2 (Ax + Cx), Dy = 1 (Ay + Cy)
2

Fx = 1
2 (Ax + Bx), F y = 1 (Ay + By)
2

1 (Ax + Bx + Cx)
Px = 3

Py = 1
3 (Ay + By + Cy)

P divides the medians in ratio 2:1 i.e

2 AD, BP = 2 BE, CP = 2 CF
AP = 3 3 3
Polar coordinates r, θ:

r is the distance from the origin O to P

θ is the polar angle of OP (measured from

the positive x-axis)

Kulman θ merkki = sign of angle θ

P x, P y → r, θ:

q
r= P x2 + P y 2

MATLAB/Octave:

θ = atan2d(P y, P x) in degrees −180◦ . . . 180◦

θ = atan2(P y, P x) in radians −π . . . π

(note the order P y, P x !!)

r, θ → P x, P y:

P x = r · cos(θ)

P y = r · sin(θ)
Directed segment from P to Q

length P Q, polar angle θ = θP Q

P x, P y, Qx, Qy → P Q, θ:

q
PQ = (Qx − P x)2 + (Qy − P y)2

θ = atan2(Qy − P y, Qx − P x) (in radians)

θ = atan2d(Qy − P y, Qx − P x) (in degrees)

P x, P y, P Q, θ → Qx, Qy:

Qx = P x + P Q cos(θ)

Qy = P y + P Q sin(θ)
Ex: Given the coordinates of A and B and
distances AP and AQ, calculate the coordi-
nates of P and Q
Polar angles

θ = θAB = atan2d(By − Ay, Bx − Ax)

θAP = θ + 90◦

θAQ = θ − 90◦

Coordinates

P x = Ax + AP cos(θAP )

P y = Ay + AP sin(θAP )

Qx = Ax + AQ cos(θAQ)

Qy = Ay + AQ sin(θAQ)
Ex: The line A, θ through point A with polar
angle θ:
Coordinates of the points P and Q on the line

P x = Ax + r cos(θ)

P y = Ay + r sin(θ)

Qx = Ax − t cos(θ)

Qy = Ay − t sin(θ)
Ex: intersection point P of lines A, θ and B, δ:

P x = Ax + r cos(θ) = Bx + t cos(δ)

P y = Ay + r sin(θ) = By + t sin(δ)
i.e two linear equations for r and t

a b e
z }| { z }| { z }| {
cos(θ) ·r − cos(δ) ·t = Bx − Ax

sin(θ) ·r − sin(δ) ·t = By
| {z } | {z }
− Ay
| {z }
c d f

solution

de − bf af − ce
r= , t=
ad − bc ad − bc
Ex: Positioning from direction measurements

Known base stations A and B, unknown po-

sition P

Measured polar angles θ and δ of P → A and

P →B

P is the intersection point of lines

A, θ and B, δ
Ex: The Steiner point P of a triangle ABC

Triangles ABT , BCR and ACS are equilateral

(i.e AT = BT = AC etc) with 60◦ angles

The sum of distances AP + BP + CP is smal-

lest, angles between P A, P B and P C are 120◦
Polar angles

θAT = θAB − 60◦

θBR = θBC − 60◦

θCS = θCA − 60◦

Coordinates

T x = Ax + AB cos(θAT )
T y = Ay + AB sin(θAT )

Rx = Bx + BC cos(θBC )
Ry = By + BC sin(θBC )

Sx = Cx + CA cos(θCA)
Sy = Cy + CA sin(θCA)

P is the intersection point of lines

A, θAR and B, θBS (and C, θCT )

Ex: Circle, center P , radius r.

Point Q on the circle corresponding angle θ

Qx = P x + r cos(θ)

Qy = P y + r sin(θ)
whole circle: θ = 0 . . . 360◦

arc: θ = θ1 . . . θ2
Ex: Circle through points A, B and C

Center P is the intersection point of the per-

pendicular bisectors of the sides of the triangle
ABC

yhtä kaukana A:sta ja C:stä = at equal dis-

tances from A and C
perpendicular bisector of a segment = a li-
ne through the middle point, perpendicular
to the segment = points which are at equal
distances from the end points

If D, E and F are the middle points of sides

of ABC, then P is the intersection point of
lines

D, θBC + 90◦ and E, θCA + 90◦

(and F, θAB + 90◦)

Ex: Tangents to the circle P, r from a point
A (outside the circle)

Ax, Ay, P x, P y, r → Sx, Sy, T x, T y

q
AS = AT = AP 2 − r2

δ = sin−1(r/AP )
Polar angles:

θAS = θAP + δ

θAT = θAP − δ

Coordinates:

Sx = Ax + AS cos(θAS )

Sy = Ay + AS sin(θAS )

T x = Ax + AT cos(θAT )

T y = Ay + AT sin(θAT )
Ex: Intersection points of a line A, θ and a
circle P, r

Q is the intersection point of lines A, θ and

P, θ + 90◦
Line and circle intersect, if P Q ≤ r. Then
q
QS = QT = r2 − P Q2

and the coordinates of the intersection points

are

Sx = Qx − QS cos(θ)
Sy = Qy − QS sin(θ)

T x = Qx + QT cos(θ)
T y = Qy + QT sin(θ)
Ex: Intersection points of a line P Q and a
triangle ABC

Intersection points S1, S2, S3 of line P, θP Q

and lines A, θAB , B, θBC , C, θCA
S1x = Ax + r1 cos(θAB )
S1y = Ay + r1 sin(θAB )

S2x = Bx + r2 cos(θBC )
S2y = By + r2 sin(θBC )

S3x = Cx + r3 cos(θCA)
S3y = Cy + r3 sin(θCA)

S1 is between A and B, if r1 is 0 . . . AB

S2 is between B and C, if r2 is 0 . . . BC

S3 is between C and A, if r3 is 0 . . . CA
Ex: two-arm robot, given lengths OM and
MP
Direct kinematics: α, β → P x, P y

M x = OM cos(α)
M y = OM sin(α)

P x = M x + M P cos(α + β)
P y = M y + M P sin(α + β)

Inverse kinematics: P x, P y → α, β
q
OP = P x2 + P y 2

θ = atan2d(P y, P x)

OP 2 + OM 2 − M P 2
!
γ = cos−1
2 · OP · OM

α=θ−γ

M P 2 + OM 2 − OP 2
!
β = 180◦ − cos−1
2 · M P · OM
Ex: A mechanism, O and A fixed, OB rotates,
B slides on AC and D moves horizontally:

Given: OA, OB, AC, CD, h and α

Coordinates:

Ax = 0, Ay = −OA

θOB = −90◦ + α

Bx = OB cos(θOB )

By = OB sin(θOB )

θAC = θAB = atan2d(By − Ay, Bx − Ax)

Cx = Ax + AC cos(θAC )

Cy = Ay + AC sin(θAC )
q
Dx = Cx − CD2 − (Dy − Cy)2

Dy = h
Ex. Four-bar mechanism

O and C fixed, lengths OA, AB, BC and OC

OA rotates
If OA is the shortest and OC the longest and

OA + OC ≤ AB + BC

then OA can rotate 360◦ (Grashof condition)

Coordinates: given α

Ox = 0, Oy = 0

Cx = OC, Cy = 0

Ax = OA cos(α), Ay = OA sin(α)

q
AC = (Ax − Cx)2 + (Ay − Cy)2

θ = θCA = atan2 (Ay − Cy, Ax − Cx)

AC 2 + BC 2 − AB 2
!
ϕ = cos−1
2 · AC · BC

β =θ−ϕ

Bx = Cx + BC cos(β), By = Cy + BC sin(β)