On Cesàro triangles and spherical polygons (Q2123715)

Let \(\mathbb{S}\) be the unit sphere whose center is at origin in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). For a point \(X\in\mathbb{S}\), let \(X^*\) denote its antipodal point. Let \(A=(0,0,-1)\) denote the south-pole of \(\mathbb{S}\), hence \(A^*=(0,0,1)\) is the north-pole. Let \(\phi:\mathbb{S}\backslash\{A^*\}\rightarrow \Pi\) denote the stereographic projection from the north-pole \(A^*\) to the plane \(\Pi\) tangent to \(\mathbb{S}\) at the south-pole \(A\). For simplicity, let \(\bar{X}\) denote \(\phi(X)\). Let recall some known facts about this stereographic projection: (i) If \(K\) is a circle on \(\mathbb{S}\) that passes through \(A^*\) then \(\phi(K)\) is a line on \(\Pi\). (ii) If two circles \(K_1\) and \(K_2\) on \(\mathbb{S}\) intersect with angle \(\theta\) then \(\phi(K_1)\) and \(\phi(K_2)\) intersect with the same angle. Let \(\breve{\Delta}ABC\) be a spherical triangle on \(\mathbb{S}\) (that is, a triangle whose sides are arcs of great circles of \(\mathbb{S}\), the vertex \(A\) is the south-pole of \(\mathbb{S}\)). The planar triangle \(\Delta \bar{A}\bar{B}\bar{C}\) is called the Ceràro triangle of \(\breve{\Delta}ABC\). In the paper under review, spherical versions, analogous of many results of Euclidean geometry, and in many cases new proofs of some known results of spherical geometry are provided. For instance, let us rephrase some of the results given in this paper: (1) The angles of the Cesàro triangle are given by \(\angle\bar{A}=\alpha\), \(\angle\bar{B}=\beta-\varepsilon\) and \(\angle\bar{C}=\gamma-\varepsilon\) where \(\alpha\), \(\beta\) and \(\gamma\) is the spherical angles of the vertices \(A\), \(B\) and \(C\) in the triangle \(\breve{\Delta}ABC\) and \(\varepsilon=\frac{1}{2}(\alpha+\beta+\gamma-\pi)\) is the spherical excess of this triangle. (2) Spherical analogous of the statement ``in any planar triangle the angle opposite the greater side is greater'' and some of its variations are given. (3) Lexell's theorem: roughly speaking, spherical triangles with a common base \(AB\) have the same area if and only if their third vertex lies on some small circle (a small circle is a spherical circle which is not a great circle). (4) Among all spherical triangles with constant perimeter, the equilateral one has the maximum area. (5) Determination of when the area of a spherical triangle with two fixed side lengths \(a\) and \(b\) and the third side length \(x\) is monotonically increasing or decreasing function with respect to \(x\). (6) Various interesting results on spherical polygons, in particular: among all spherical \(n\)-gons with fixed perimeter \(p<2\pi\), spherical regular \(n\)-gons have the maximum area.