OFFSET
1,2
COMMENTS
The area of a convex quadrilateral with fixed sides is maximal when it is organized as a convex cyclic quadrilateral. Furthermore in order that a quadrilateral can have sides in a geometric progression 1:r:r^2:r^3 its common ratio r is limited to the range 1/t < r < t where t is the tribonacci constant (A058265). Consequently when r=1.6537455... it maximizes Brahmagupta's expression for the area of a convex cyclic quadrilateral whose sides form a geometric progression.
LINKS
Wikipedia, Brahmagupta's formula.
FORMULA
r is the positive real root of the equation 1 + r^2 + 18*r^4 + 2*r^6 + 5*r^8 - 3*r^10 = 0. (Corrected by N. J. A. Sloane, Jan 14 2019. Thanks to Harvey P. Dale for pointing that the old expression was incorrect.)
EXAMPLE
1.653745515077771929707906238366459714566223...
MAPLE
Digits:=200; fsolve( -3*r^10+5*r^8+2*r^6+18*r^4+r^2+1, r ); # N. J. A. Sloane, Jan 14 2019
MATHEMATICA
RealDigits[r/.NMaximize[{Sqrt[(-1+r+r^2+r^3)(1-r+r^2+r^3)(1+r-r^2+r^3)(1+r+r^2-r^3)]/4, 3/5<r<9/5}, r, AccuracyGoal->120, PrecisionGoal->100, WorkingPrecision->240][[2]]][[1]]
RealDigits[r/.FindRoot[1+r^2+18r^4+2r^6+5r^8-3r^10==0, {r, 2}, WorkingPrecision -> 120]][[1]] (* Harvey P. Dale, Jan 14 2019 *)
CROSSREFS
KEYWORD
nonn,cons
AUTHOR
Frank M Jackson, Sep 08 2011
EXTENSIONS
First Mathematica program fixed by Harvey P. Dale, Sep 10 2011
Second Mathematica program added by Harvey P. Dale, Jan 14 2019
STATUS
approved