I recently investigated a problem I picked up some time ago, though in a different context: What is

the expected value of a random chord in a circle?

As it turns out, there are a few ways to interpret the question, each of which yields a different
result: these become of the fact that there are a few different ways to define a "random chord." For
example, we may define it as picking a random point in the interior of the circle, drawing a line
between it and the center of the circle and taking the chord as the perpendicular to that line at the
selected point. By symmetry, we may consider one radius segment: given a randomly chosen
x Ε @0, rD, the length of the chord defined as such is given by 2 r 2 - x 2 , and taking the average
value of this over the given domain yields the average value of the chord as Π2 r.

As well, we may consider the polar plot of the graph R = 2 r Sin@ΘD, which is a circle of radius r
centered at Hr, 0L; then draw n chords, with the i th one starting at H0, 0L and ending at the point
iΠ
RI n+1 M, so that when we let n ® ¥, the arithmetic average of the lengths of all those chords will
give us the average value of the chords, i.e. the average value of the chords is given by the sum
Lim 1n Úni=1 2 r SinA n+1
iΠ
E = Π4 r, (this because the sum is the average value of the sine function over
n®¥
Π
that interval), which is quite different from 2
r.

However, despite these perhaps more clever approaches, the one I decided was the best is this last
one. Decide the random point in the following manner: fix one point on the circle, WLOG at
Hr, 0L; then put another point randomly on the circle, at Hx, yL, so that the length of the chord is
Hr - xL2 + y2 = 2r r - x . Then we simply have to integrate over the domain for x, which is
@-r, rD, to obtain the average value of the chord as 4
3
r, mockingly close to 4
Π
r.

Why is this last interpretation the best one? For me, it works best because unlike the other two, it
can be generalized in the way I want: in this case, I began generalizing to a random N-gon inscribed
in a circle. Before we get there though, I stuck with chords a bit longer to solve the same problem
in a box in the plane: because the boundary needs to be piecewise defined, it comes out less nicely.
We consider three cases, one where the two endpoints of the chord lie on opposite sides, (a situa-
tion with probability 14 ), one where they lie on adjacent sides, (with probability 12 ), and one where
they lie on the same side (with probability 14 ). The integrals are a bit stranger, and the answer comes
out to , which is approximately

.827795.

Generally, for any closed, simply connected region in the plane, to find the average value of a
chord in it, you simply need to fix one point on the curve, and then take the average value over all
the chords on the curve. It makes sense to parameterize; with the circle we could have parameter-
ized by the curve ΑHtL = Hr CosHtL, r SinHtLL, t Ε @0, 2 ΠD, with the length of the chord given by
Why is this last interpretation the best one? For me, it works best because unlike the other two, it
canRandomness
2
be generalized in the way I want: in this case, I began generalizing to a random N-gon inscribed
and Circles.nb
in a circle. Before we get there though, I stuck with chords a bit longer to solve the same problem
in a box in the plane: because the boundary needs to be piecewise defined, it comes out less nicely.
We consider three cases, one where the two endpoints of the chord lie on opposite sides, (a situa-
tion with probability 14 ), one where they lie on adjacent sides, (with probability 12 ), and one where
they lie on the same side (with probability 14 ). The integrals are a bit stranger, and the answer comes
out to , which is approximately

.827795.

Generally, for any closed, simply connected region in the plane, to find the average value of a
chord in it, you simply need to fix one point on the curve, and then take the average value over all
the chords on the curve. It makes sense to parameterize; with the circle we could have parameter-
ized by the curve ΑHtL = Hr CosHtL, r SinHtLL, t Ε @0, 2 ΠD, with the length of the chord given by
Hr - xL2 + y2 = 2r r - Cos t , so that we are left with the integral

Ù0
2r 2Π
2Π
r - Cos t â t = Π4 r, which interestingly indicates that maybe this parametrization is
better than the linear one we used originally.

Now, how can we find the value of a random triangle in a circle? (Consider first the unit circle, for
convenience.) We pick points the same way we did before, i.e. by first setting one WLOG at H1, 0L,
and then putting two more at general points on the circle: one at Hx, yL and one at Hu, vL. As in the
diagram below, the angle of the triangle at the vertex at H1, 0L is given by Α = Θ ± Φ, where Θ is the
angle from the x - axis to the point Hx, yL, and similarly for Φ and the point Hu, vL. The ± is in there
because the two general points on the circle could be in the same hemisphere or different ones; in
the diagram below, the total angle is the sum of the two angles, because one point is in the top half
of the circle while the other is in the bottom half. In general, these two situations have equal proba-
bility, and we will have to factor this into our analysis.

The distances between H1, 0L and Hx, yL and H1, 0L and Hu, vL are given by 2 1 - x and
2 1 - u respectively, so that the area of the triangle works out quite nicely to
AHx, uL = 1-x 1 - u Sin Α = . As well, from the
H1 - xL H1 - uL Sin HΘ ± ΦL = H1 - xL H1 - uL @Sin Θ Cos Φ ± Sin Φ Cos ΘD
1-x 2 1 1
diagram we have Sin Θ = = 1 + x , Sin Φ = 1 + u , so that the average area
2 1-x 2 2
1-x 1 1
Cos Θ = = 1 - x , Cos Φ = 1-u
2 1-x 2 2
1
is given by the two double integrals (each multiplied by their probability, ),
Ù-1 Ù-1 A H1 - xL H1 - uL * 2 A H1 + xL H1 - uL ± H1 - xL H1 + uL E â x â u, i.e. one integral with the +
2
1 1 1

and one with the -. This comes out to the surprisingly (but not at all surprisingly) simple answer of
Π
8
.
bility, and we will have to factor this into our analysis.

The distances between H1, 0L and Hx, yL and H1, 0L and Hu, vL are given by
Randomness and Circles.nb 3
2 1 - x and
2 1 - u respectively, so that the area of the triangle works out quite nicely to
AHx, uL = 1-x 1 - u Sin Α = . As well, from the
H1 - xL H1 - uL Sin HΘ ± ΦL = H1 - xL H1 - uL @Sin Θ Cos Φ ± Sin Φ Cos ΘD
1-x 2 1 1
diagram we have Sin Θ = = 1 + x , Sin Φ = 1 + u , so that the average area
2 1-x 2 2
1-x 1 1
Cos Θ = = 1 - x , Cos Φ = 1-u
2 1-x 2 2
1
is given by the two double integrals (each multiplied by their probability, ),
Ù-1 Ù-1 A H1 - xL H1 - uL * 2 A H1 + xL H1 - uL ± H1 - xL H1 + uL E â x â u, i.e. one integral with the +
2
1 1 1

and one with the -. This comes out to the surprisingly (but not at all surprisingly) simple answer of
Π
8
.

So, you might be asking yourself, is there a simple way to extend this method to a "random" N-gon
inscribed in a circle? Might there be some similarly cool analysis to find the area of the average such
N-gon, and perhaps something to gain in the knowledge that as N®¥ the area should ® Π? Well,
as of yet I haven't determined any such way to crack the N=4 case; I began working it out the same
way, but quickly realized it would be extremely troublesome. I know there has been much work on
polynomials inscribed in circles- so-called "cyclic polynomials-" though I haven't found any simple
relationship describing such a polynomial's area. I am sure to return to this though, either to con-
sider the "paradox" of the chord case, or perhaps try pushing this to higher dimensions.
4 Randomness and Circles.nb

So, you might be asking yourself, is there a simple way to extend this method to a "random" N-gon
inscribed in a circle? Might there be some similarly cool analysis to find the area of the average such
N-gon, and perhaps something to gain in the knowledge that as N®¥ the area should ® Π? Well,
as of yet I haven't determined any such way to crack the N=4 case; I began working it out the same
way, but quickly realized it would be extremely troublesome. I know there has been much work on
polynomials inscribed in circles- so-called "cyclic polynomials-" though I haven't found any simple
relationship describing such a polynomial's area. I am sure to return to this though, either to con-
sider the "paradox" of the chord case, or perhaps try pushing this to higher dimensions.