Thales

Thales' theorem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the theorem sometimes called Thales' theorem and pertaining to similar triangles,
see Intercept theorem.
Thales' theorem: if AC is a diameter, then the angle at B is a right angle.
In geometry, Thales' theorem (named after Thales of Miletus) states that if A, B and C

are points on a circle where the line AC is adiameter of the circle, then the angle ABC is
a right angle. Thales' theorem is a special case of the inscribed angle theorem. It is
generally attributed to Thales, who is said to have sacrificed an ox in honor of the
discovery, but sometimes it is attributed toPythagoras.
Contents
[hide]
1 Proof
2 Converse
o 2.1 Proof of the converse using
geometry
o 2.2 Proof of the converse using
linear algebra
3 Generalization
4 Application
5 History
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]Proof
Provided AC is a diameter, angle at B is constant right
Figure for the proof.
We use the following facts:
 the sum of the angles in a triangle is equal to two right angles (180°),
 the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal.
Let O be the center of the circle. Since OA = OB = OC, OBA and OBC are isosceles
triangles, and by the equality of the base angles of an isosceles triangle, OBC = OCB
and BAO = ABO. Let α = BAO and β = OBC. The 3 internal angles of the ABC triangle
are α, α + β and β. Since the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles,
we have
then
or simply
Q.E.D.
Converse
The converse of Thales' theorem is also valid; it states that a right
triangle's hypotenuse is a diameter of its circumcircle.
Combining Thales' theorem with its converse we get that:
The center of a triangle's circumcircle lies on one of the triangle's
sides if and only if the triangle is a right triangle.
[edit]Proof of the converse using geometry
Figure for the proof of the converse
This proof consists of 'completing' the right triangle to form

a rectangle and noticing that the center of that rectangle is equidistant
from the vertices and so is the center of the circumscribing circle of the
original triangle, it utilizes two facts:
 adjacent angles in a parallelogram are supplementary (add to 180°)

and,
 the diagonals of a rectangle are equal and cross each other in their
median point.
Let there be a right angle ABC, r a line parallel to BC passing by A and
s a line parallel to AB passing by C. Let D be the point of intersection of
lines r and s (Note that it has not been proven that D lies on the circle)
The quadrilateral ABCD forms a parallelogram by construction (as
opposite sides are parallel). Since in a parallelogram adjacent angles
are supplementary (add to 180°) and ABC is a right angle (90°) then
angles BAD, BCD, and ADC are also right (90°); consequently ABCD is
a rectangle.
Let O be the point of intersection of the diagonals AC and BD. Then the
point O, by the second fact above, is equidistant from A,B, and C. And
so O is center of the circumscribing circle, and the hypotenuse of the
triangle AC is a diameter of the circle.
[edit]Proof of the converse using linear algebra
This proof utilizes two facts:
 two lines form a right angle if and only if the dot product of their
directional vectors is zero, and
 the square of the length of a vector is given by the dot product of the
vector with itself.
Let there be a right angle ABC and circle M with AC as a diameter. Let
M's center lie on the origin, for easier calculation. Then we know
 A = − C, because the circle centered at the origin has AC as

diameter, and
 (A − B) · (B − C) = 0, because ABC is a right angle.
It follows
0 = (A − B) · (B − C) = (A − B) · (B + A) = |A| 2 − |B|2.
Hence:
|A| = |B|.
This means that A and B are equidistant from the origin, i.e.
from the center of M. Since A lies on M, so does B, and the
circle M is therefore the triangle's circumcircle.
The above calculations in fact establish that both directions of
Thales' theorem are valid in any inner product space.
[edit]Generalization
Thales' theorem is a special case of the following theorem:

Given three points A, B and C on a circle with center O, the angle
AOC is twice as large as the angle ABC.
See inscribed angle, the proof of this theorem is quite
similar to the proof of Thales' theorem given above.
[edit]Application
Constructing a tangent using Thales' theorem.
Thales' theorem can be used to construct the tangent to a

given circle that passes through a given point. (See figure.)
Given a circle k, with a center O, and a point P outside of
the circle, we want to construct the (red) tangent(s)
to k that pass through P. Suppose the (as yet unknown)
tangent t touches the circle in the point T. From symmetry,
it is clear that the radius OT is orthogonal to the tangent.
So construct the midpoint H betweenO and P, and draw a
circle centered at H through O and P. By Thales' theorem,
the sought point T is the intersection of this circle with the
given circle k, because that is the point on k that completes
a right triangleOTP.
Since there the two circles intersect at two points, we can
construct both tangents in this fashion.
[edit]History
Thales was not the first to discover this theorem since

the Egyptians and Babylonians must[citation needed] have known
of this empirically, however there is no record of a proof of
the theorem by either of them. The theorem is named after
Thales because he was said to have been the first to prove
the theorem, using his own results that the base angles of
an isosceles triangle are equal, and that the sum of angles
in a triangle is equal to two right angles.
[edit]See also
 Inscribed angle theorem
 Synthetic geometry
[edit]References
 Agricola, Ilka; Friedrich, Thomas (2008). Elementary

Geometry. AMS. p. 50. ISBN 0821843478. (restricted
online copy at Google Books)
 Heath, T.L. (1921). A History of Greek Mathematics:
From Thales to Euclid. I. Oxford. pp. 131ff..
[edit]External links
 Weisstein, Eric W., "Thales' Theorem" from MathWorld.
 Munching on Inscribed Angles
 Thales' theorem explained With interactive animation
 Thales' Theorem by Michael Schreiber, The Wolfram
Demonstrations Project.
 Les Luthiers - El Teorema de Thales on YouTube (in
spanish)
Categories: Euclidean plane geometry | Mathematical
theorems | Triangle geometry

Thales

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thales

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thales

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thales' theorem

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thales' theorem: if AC is a diameter, then the angle at B is a right angle.

In geometry, Thales' theorem (named after Thales of Miletus) states that if A, B and C

o 2.1 Proof of the converse using

o 2.2 Proof of the converse using

Figure for the proof.

We use the following facts:

Figure for the proof of the converse

This proof consists of 'completing' the right triangle to form

 adjacent angles in a parallelogram are supplementary (add to 180°)

 A = − C, because the circle centered at the origin has AC as

Thales' theorem is a special case of the following theorem:

Thales' theorem can be used to construct the tangent to a

Thales was not the first to discover this theorem since

 Agricola, Ilka; Friedrich, Thomas (2008). Elementary

You might also like