Polygon offsetting with squares erected on its sides (Q2663632)

Let \(A\) be a planar polygon. On each of sides of \(A\) one erects squares outward and inward on the sides of \(A\). Let \(A'\) (respectively, \(A''\)) be the polygon whose vertices are the centers of these outward (respectively, inward) squares. This paper provides an interesting relationship between the area (respectively, the sum of squared sides, and the polar moment of inertia) of \(A\), \(A'\) and \(A''\) with respect to a fixed point \(o\). More precisely, it is shown that the (signed) area of \(A\) coincides with the arithmetic mean of (signed) areas of \(A'\) and \(A''\). A similar assertion is also proved for the sums of squared sides of \(A\), \(A'\) and \(A''\), and also for the polar moments of inertia of \(A\), \(A'\) and \(A''\) with respect to \(o\). The proofs of these results are obtained by considering three ``polygonal'' hermitian forms \(\mathbb{C}^n\times\mathbb{C}^n\rightarrow\mathbb{C}\) introduced in [\textit{J. C. Fisher} et al., Am. Math. Mon. 92, 23--37 (1985; Zbl 0562.51027)], where \(n\) is the number of vertices of \(A\).