Thales's theorem theorem is named after Thales because he was said by ancient sources 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 180°. Dante's "Paradiso" (canto 13, lines 101–102) refers to Thales's theorem in the course of a speech. The following facts are used: the sum of the angles in a triangle is equal to 180° and the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal. Since = = , ∆OBA and ∆OBC are isosceles
Proofs of trigonometric identities division identity They remain valid for angles greater than 90° and for negative angles. Or Two angles whose sum is π/2 radians (90 degrees) are "complementary". In the diagram, the angles at vertices A and B are complementary, so we can exchange a and b, and change θ to π/2 − θ, obtaining: Identity 1: The following two results follow from this and the ratio identities. To obtain the first, divide both sides of formula_21 by formula_23; for the second, divide by formula_24. Similarly Identity 2: The following accounts for all three reciprocal functions. Proof 2: Refer to the triangle