Orthocentric simplices and their centers

Abstract

A simplex is said to be orthocentric if its altitudes intersect in a common point, called its orthocenter. In this paper it is proved that if any two of the traditional centers of an orthocentric simplex (in any dimension) coincide, then the simplex is regular. Along the way orthocentric simplices in which all facets have the same circumradius are characterized, and the possible barycentric coordinates of the orthocenter are described precisely. In particular these barycentric coordinates are used to parametrize the shapes of orthocentric simplices. The substantial, but widespread, literature on orthocentric simplices is briefly surveyed in order to place the new results in their proper context, and some of the previously known results are given new proofs from the present perspective.