Mathematics Atlas

How Proof Is Made
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Theorem

Bretschneider's Formula

Geometry

In geometry, Bretschneider's formula is a mathematical expression for the area of a general quadrilateral, and it works for both convex and concave quadrilaterals whether or not they are cyclic.

Facts
Statement
The area K of a general quadrilateral with sides a, b, c and d, semiperimeter s, and opposite angles alpha and gamma equals the square root of the quantity (s-a)(s-b)(s-c)(s-d) minus abcd times the square of the cosine of half the sum of alpha and gamma. 1
Proof Year
1842 1
Classification
Statement Form
Identity or Equation 1
Sources
1. Bretschneider's formula, Wikipedia
  • Formulation section
    Bretschneider's formula is expressed as: K = sqrt[(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)(s-d) - abcd*cos^2((alpha+gamma)/2)]
  • History section
    The German mathematician Carl Anton Bretschneider discovered the formula in 1842.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.