I have a triangulation problem I'm trying to solve for a work project. It's been ages since I've taken a math class so assume that I've forgotten everything because I probably have.
So here's the situation:
I have a tetrahedron (ABCD). I know all three angles (∠ABC∠ACB∠BAC) and the lengths of all three sides (¯AB ¯AC ¯BC) of the base (△ABC). I know all three angles around the peak (D) (∠ADB ∠ADC ∠BDC). With that I can deduce the dihedral angles between three faces (△ABD to △ACD, △ACD to △BCD, △ABD to △BCD).
How can I solve for the lengths of any of the sides between the base and the peak (¯AD ¯BD ¯CD), or any of the remaining angles (∠ABD ∠BAD ∠ACD ∠CAD ∠BCD ∠CBD)?
It seems to me with a base having a fixed, known shape and size, and fixed angles around the fourth point, it should be possible to directly deduce the rest of the angles and side lengths.
Thanks in advance.
-Jon
UPDATE:
I feel like there's something lurking in the Law of Sines. Since I have one angle and its opposite side for faces △ABD △ACD and △BCD, I know the ratio between the sines of the unknown angles and their opposite faces. Also, from the Law of Sines as applied to a tetrahedron I know the ratio between the sines of angles from adjacent faces opposite their shared side:
sin(∠ABD)sin(∠ACD)=sin(∠ADB)⋅sin(∠ABC)sin(∠ADC)⋅sin(∠ACB)
To satisfy the ratios within both △ABD and △ACD, AND the ratio between sin(∠ABD) and sin(∠ACD) should force only one possibility for ¯AD, right?
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