Bretschneider’s Formula Via Complex Numbers (Q6901011)

Bretschneider's formula with its equivalent forms presents the area of a convex quadrilateral in terms of its side and diagonal lengths. In this note the revisited formula states that the area \(K\) of a convex quadrilateral whose consecutive sides have lengths: \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), \(d\), and diagonal lengths are \(p\) and \(q\), is given by: \N\[\NK=\dfrac{1}{4}\sqrt{4p^2q^2-(b^2+d^2-a^2-c^2)^2}.\N\]\NThe authors give a proof using complex numbers which can be restated in coordinates form through scalar products and cosine laws. \N\NNote here that a useful formula which can be used as a starting point is the following: Given a convex or concave quadrilateral \(ABCD\) with the two diagonal lines \((AC)\) and \((BD)\) intersecting at an angle \(\theta\), the area \(K\) of \(ABCD\) is equal to \(\frac{1}{2}AC\times BD\times \sin(\theta)\).