Integer triangle cosine equals 0, ±1/2, or ±1. The only ones of these giving an angle strictly between 0° and 180° are the cosine value 1/2 with the angle 60°, the cosine value –1/2 with the angle 120°, and the cosine value 0 with the angle 90°. The only combination of three of these, allowing multiple use of any of them and summing to 180°, is three 60° angles. Conditions are known in terms of elliptic curves for an integer triangle to have an integer ratio "N" of the circumradius to the inradius. The smallest case, that of the equilateral triangle, has
Triangle inequality angles satisfy: Therefore, and so, in particular, That means side opposite angle is shorter than side opposite the larger angle . But . Hence: A similar construction shows , establishing the theorem. An alternative proof (also based upon the triangle postulate) proceeds by considering three positions for point : (i) as depicted (which is to be proven), or (ii) coincident with (which would mean the isosceles triangle had two right angles as base angles plus the vertex angle , which would violate the triangle postulate), or lastly, (iii) interior to the right triangle between points and (in which case angle