Concept
In Euclidean geometry, the right triangle altitude theorem or geometric mean theorem is a relation between the altitude on the hypotenuse in a right triangle and the two line segments it creates on the hypotenuse. It states that the geometric mean of the two segments equals the altitude. If h denotes the altitude in a right triangle and p and q the segments on the hypotenuse then the theorem can be stated as: or in term of areas: The latter version yields a method to square a rectangle with ruler and compass, that is to construct a square of equal area to a given rectangle. For such a rectangle with sides p and q we denote its top left vertex with D. Now we extend the segment q to its left by p (using arc centered on D) and draw a half circle with endpoints A and B with the new segment p + q as its diameter. Then we erect a perpendicular line to the diameter in D that intersects the half circle in C. Due to Thales' theorem C and the diameter form a right triangle with the line segment as its altitude, hence is the side of a square with the area of the rectangle. The method also allows for the construction of square roots (see constructible number), since starting with a rectangle that has a width of 1 the constructed square will have a side length that equals the square root of the rectangle's length. Another application of provides a geometrical proof of the AM–GM inequality in the case of two numbers. For the numbers p and q one constructs a half circle with diameter p + q. Now the altitude represents the geometric mean and the radius the arithmetic mean of the two numbers. Since the altitude is always smaller or equal to the radius, this yields the inequality. The theorem can also be thought of as a special case of the intersecting chords theorem for a circle, since the converse of Thales' theorem ensures that the hypotenuse of the right angled triangle is the diameter of its circumcircle. The converse statement is true as well. Any triangle, in which the altitude equals the geometric mean of the two line segments created by it, is a right triangle.
