# Fraction represented by shaded area

What fraction of the area of square with side of length $$a$$ does the shaded area represent?

I solved the problem of finding the fraction area of the triangle with sides of length $$a$$, $$d$$ and $$e$$; using the Pythagorean theorem, the sum of the angles of a triangle and a couple of trigonometric identities, but I'm wondering if there's a solution that doesn't resort to trigonometric identities.

The relation between $$b$$ and $$a$$ is simple: $$b=\sqrt{2}a$$.

Also,

$$\gamma=\frac{3\pi}{4} , \alpha+\beta+\gamma=\pi \Rightarrow \alpha+\beta=\pi/4$$

By the law of sines and the sine of a difference between angles:

$$\sin{\beta}=\sqrt{2}\sin{\alpha}=\sqrt{2}\sin{(\pi/4-\beta)}=\cos{\beta}-\sin{\beta}$$

So the relation between side lengths (and areas) follows:

$$\frac{\sin{\beta}}{\cos{\beta}}=\frac{1}{2}=\frac{e}{a} \Rightarrow \frac{ea/2}{a^2}=\frac{1}{4}$$

Thus, the area triangle of the triangle is one quarter of the small square, but I'm sure someone can come up with a more elegant solution.

Here is a simpler solution:

Use the fact that triangles △AOD and △BOC are congruent to obtain

$$BO=OD$$

Therefore, O is the midpoint of BD and the shaded area is $$a^2/4$$.

The shaded area is of a rectangle triangle . it is given by

$$S=a.\frac{a\tan(\beta)}{2}$$

• Sure. But there's enough information to compute $\beta$... – David G. Stork Sep 1 at 21:45