Configurations of inscribed equilateral triangles

Abstract

This paper explores equilateral triangles XY Z with vertices on sidelines of a given triangle ABC such that one side of XY Z is parallel to the corresponding side of ABC. There are six such triangles. They have many interesting properties which we investigate using trilinear coordinates. Our results improve and add to the earlier results of Blas Herrera Gómez about these configurations. We obtain new characterizations of several central points of the triangles and identify interesting pairs of triangles that are homologic (or perspective) and orthologic. The recognition of the Darboux cubic of a triangle is also accomplished in these configurations. Triples of circles intersecting in a point and six points on a conic also appear.