Let each of and be a triangle center function or the zero function, and let one of the following three conditions hold.
1. The degree of homogeneity of equals that of .
2. is the zero function and is not the zero function.
3. is the zero function and is not the zero function.
Also define three points with the following trilinear coordinates.
(1)
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(2)
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(3)
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Then is said to be an -central triangle of type 1, and any triangle for which these equations hold for some choice of triangle center functions is called a central triangle of type 1. Such a triangle is completely determined by its first vertex , but has complete trilinear vertex matrix given by
(4)
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If , then and the triangle degenerates to the triangle center ; otherwise, is nondegenerate (Kimberling 1998, p. 54). Cevian and anticevian triangles are both of type 1.
If fails to be bicentric so that , then the resulting triangle determined by and is known as an -central triangle of type 2 and has trilinear vertex matrix
(5)
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No triangle of type 2 is also of type 2. Pedal and antipedal triangles are both of type 2.
Given only a single center function , then the -central triangle of type 3 is the degenerate triangle with collinear vertices given by trilinear vertex matrix
(6)
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This "triangle" is also called the cocevian triangle of the center (Kimberling 1998, p. 54).
All triangle centers of an equilateral central triangle degenerate into a single center of the reference triangle.