Feuerbach's relation and Ptolemy's theorem in \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) (Q1909590)

Ptolemy's theorem says the following: If \(A,B,C,D\) are points on a circle in cyclic order, then \[ |AC |\cdot |BD |= |AB |\cdot |CD |+ |BC |\cdot |AD |. \] The author shows its equivalence to the following relation of Feuerbach: Let \(|XYZ |\) denote the area of a triangle \(XYZ\). Then, with \(A,B,C,D\) the same as above, \[ |BD |^2 \cdot |ACD |= |CD^2 |\cdot |ABD |+ |AD |^2 \cdot |BCD |. \] Then the author generalizes this identity to \(n\)-dimensional space, with simplex volumes instead of triangle areas. The proof uses an ingenious application of inversion on an \((n - 1)\)-sphere as well as a determinant rule for the \(n\)-dimensional generalization of Heron's formula. The author also gives a determinant which vanishes iff \(n + 2\) points are on an \((n - 1)\)-sphere or a hyperplane. Several special cases are discussed.