If the points (2, 1) and (1, −2) are equidistant from the point (x, y), show that x + 3y = 0.
The distance $d$ between two points $\left(x_{1}, y_{1}\right)$ and $\left(x_{2}, y_{2}\right)$ is given by the formula
$d=\sqrt{\left(x_{1}-x_{2}\right)^{2}+\left(y_{-}-y_{2}\right)^{2}}$
Here it is said that the points (2, 1) and (1, −2) are equidistant from (x, y).
Let be the distance between (2, 1) and (x, y).
Let be the distance between (1, −2) and (x, y).
So, using the distance formula for both these pairs of points we have
$d_{1}=\sqrt{(2-x)^{2}+(1-y)^{2}}$
$d_{2}=\sqrt{(1-x)^{2}+(-2-y)^{2}}$
Now since both these distances are given to be the same, let us equate both and
$d_{1}=d_{2}$
$\sqrt{(2-x)^{2}+(1-y)^{2}}=\sqrt{(1-x)^{2}+(-2-y)^{2}}$
Squaring on both sides we have,
$(2-x)^{2}+(1-y)^{2}=(1-x)^{2}+(-2-y)^{2}$
$4+x^{2}-4 x+1+y^{2}-2 y=1+x^{2}-2 x+4+y^{2}+4 y$
$-4 x-2 y=-2 x+4 y$
$-2 x-6 y=0$
$x+3 y=0$
Hence we have proved that when the points $(2,1)$ and $(1,-2)$ are equidistant from $(x, y)$ we have $x+3 y=0$.