Chapter 1

Angles

1.1 Notes
Angles are one of the most important features of any geometry problem because they
convey the general shape of triangles and other figures.

Theorem 1.1.1. Let two parallel lines be intersected by a third line, as shown in the
diagram. Then ∠GAD = ∠CAB = ∠ABF = ∠EBH, and all of these are supplementary
(add up to 180◦ ) with ∠GAC = ∠DAB = ∠EBA = ∠F BH.

Proof. Let ∠GAD = x. Since ∠CAD = 180◦ , we know that ∠CAG = 180◦ − x, and then
∠CAB = 180◦ − (180◦ − x) = x, and ∠DAB = 180◦ − x as well.
Now, we have corresponding angles: because the angles around A are the same as the
angles around B, only shifted, all of the angles on the bottom will be the same as the
corresponding ones on the top. Therefore, ∠ABF = ∠EBH = x, and ∠ABE = ∠F BH =
180◦ − x.

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

It is especially important that ∠CAB = ∠ABF , and ∠DAB = ∠ABE. This is known
as the alternate interior angle theorem. It is also important to know that angles like
∠GAD and ∠CAB are known as vertical angles.

Theorem 1.1.2. The interior angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees.

Proof. Let the triangle be ABC. Draw a line through C that is parallel to AB, and let
D and E be on the line on opposite sides of C as shown. Then ∠BAC = ∠DCA and
∠CBA = ∠BCE by alternate interior angles, so

∠BAC + ∠ACB + ∠CBA = ∠DCA + ∠ACB + ∠BCE = ∠DCE = 180◦

completing the proof.

Theorem 1.1.3. The interior angles in a polygon with n sides add up to 180(n−2) degrees.

Proof. Let the polygon be A1 A2 · · · An . Divide the polygon into triangles A1 A2 A3 , A1 A3 A4 ,

· · · , A1 An−1 An . The sum of the angles in these n − 2 triangles is 180(n − 2) degrees, all
angles in the triangles are part of an interior angle, and no angle in any of the triangles is
not part of an interior angle. Thus, this sum of 180(n − 2)◦ must be the sum of the angles
in the polygon.

Theorem 1.1.4. Define the exterior angles to be the supplementary angles of the interior
angles in a polygon. Then the sum of the exterior angles in any polygon is 360◦ .

Proof. From the previous theorem, the sum of the interior angles is 180(n − 2) degrees,
and the total sum of all interior plus exterior angles is 180n degrees (180◦ per vertex).
Subtracting the two, we get that the sum of the exterior angles is 180n◦ −180(n−2)◦ = 360◦ ,
as desired.

Example 1.1.5 (2006 AMC 10A # 19). How many non-similar triangles have angles
whose degree measures are distinct positive integers in arithmetic progression?

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

Solution. Non-similar triangles have different interior angles, so we just want to find the
number of possible triples of angles. Since order doesn’t matter, let’s just write the smallest
one first.
We know that the angles of the triangle add to 180◦ , so the middle angle must be
180◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
3 = 60 . Then the angles of the triangle are 60 − x, 60 , and 60 + x, and the integer
◦
values that work for x are those for which 60 − x are larger than 0. Those are x = 1
through 59 degrees, for an answer of 59 .

Now, let’s add circles to the mix.

Circles
Theorem 1.1.6. An inscribed arc has angle measure equal to half the central arc. In
other words, in all three of the diagrams below, ∠ACB = 12 ∠AOB.

Proof. First, let’s deal with the left diagram, where one of the sides of the arc goes through
the center O. We know that ∠A1 O1 C1 = 180◦ − ∠A1 O1 B1 (supplementary angles), and
then because triangle A1 O1 C1 is isosceles, if we let ∠A1 C1 O1 = x, then 2x + (180◦ −
∠A1 O1 B1 ) = 180◦ =⇒ x = 21 ∠A1 O1 B1 , as desired. (In other words, we just use the fact
that we have isosceles triangles.)
In the second diagram, where O is inside the arc, construct D so that C2 D is a diameter.
Break the arc into A2 D and DB2 . Then, we know from the left diagram that ∠A2 C2 D =
1 1
2 ∠A2 O2 D, and ∠DC2 B2 = 2 ∠DO2 B2 , and adding the two together, we get ∠A2 C2 B2 =
1
2 ∠A2 O2 B2 .
Finally, in the last diagram, if O is outside the arc, we construct E on the circle so that
C3 E is a diameter. Now ∠A3 C3 E = 12 ∠A3 O3 E, and ∠B3 C3 E = 21 ∠B3 O3 E, so subtracting
the two, we get ∠A3 C3 B3 = 21 ∠A3 O3 B3 . This concludes the proof.

A quick side note at this point: if A and B are two points on a circle and O is the
center, ∠AOB and arc AB are interchangeable.

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

Theorem 1.1.7. In the diagram below, ∠BAD = ∠ACB (that is, the angle cut off by an
angle with one of the sides tangent to the circle is equal to the inscribed arc, but it’s much
clearer with a diagram).

Proof. Notice that ∠OAD = 90◦ , because the tangent line is always perpendicular to the
radius connecting to the tangency point.
If ∠BAD < 90◦ , then ∠OAB = 90◦ − ∠BAD; now, since triangle OAB is isosceles,
∠OBA = 90◦ − ∠BAD as well and therefore ∠AOB = 2∠BAD, and we are done by the
previous theorem.
On the other hand, if ∠BAD > 90◦ , ∠BAO = ∠BAD −90◦ . Triangle OAB is isosceles,
so ∠ABO = ∠BAD − 90◦ as well, and ∠AOB = 360◦ − 2∠BAD. But ∠ACB is on the
opposite arc, so we must use the obtuse angle instead: reflex angle ∠AOB = 2∠BAD, so
again ∠ACB = ∠BAD by the inscribed angle theorem.

Example 1.1.8. If two chords of a circle AC and BD intersect at E inside the circle, show
that the angle between them, ∠AEB, is the average of the arcs AB and CD, or m+n 2 .

Solution. Since E is not necessarily anywhere nice (it’s not the center or on the circumfer-
ence), we need other methods of relating it to the other points. Consider triangle ABE;
if we can find ∠ABE and ∠EAB, then we can find the last angle. By the inscribed arc
theorem, ∠ABE = ∠ABD = 12 ∠AOD, and similarly, ∠BAE = ∠BAC = 21 ∠BOC. How-
ever, we know that ∠AOB + ∠BOC + ∠COD + ∠DOA = 360◦ (because we go all the way

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

around the circle); thus,

1
∠AEB = 180◦ − (∠AOD + ∠BOC)
2
1
= (∠AOB + ∠COD)
2
m+n
=
2

Similarly, you subtract the two arcs and divide by 2 if the chords intersect outside the
circle. The proof proceeds very similarly.
Finally, let’s deal with the case where we have four points all on a circle.
Theorem 1.1.9. Let A, B, C, and D be four points on the same circle in that order.
Then ABCD is called a cyclic quadrilateral and has the following properties:
1. ∠ACB = ∠ADB

2. ∠ABC + ∠ADC = 180◦

The converse is also true: in a quadrilateral ABCD, if either ∠ACB = ∠ADB or
∠ABC + ∠ADC = 180, then ABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral.

Proof. Statement 1 follows directly from the inscribed angle theorem, and statement 2 is
true because arc ADC is equal to twice ∠ABC, and arc ABC is equal to twice ∠ADC;
adding these two results gives that 2(∠ABC + ∠ADC) = 360◦ .

Example 1.1.10 (2015 AMC 12B # 19). In 4ABC, ∠C = 90◦ and AB = 12. Squares
ABXY and ACW Z are constructed outside of the triangle. The points X, Y , Z, and W
lie on a circle. What is the perimeter of the triangle?

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

Solution. Let the legs of the right triangle be AC = x and BC = y. Then, by the
Pythagorean theorem, x2 + y 2 = 144, and we want to find x + y + 12.
We have a cyclic quadrilateral W XY Z, so we know that opposite angles add to 180◦ .
Therefore, ∠W ZY + ∠W XY = 180◦ , and since we already have a 90◦ as part of ∠W ZY ,
let’s get rid of that: ∠AZY + ∠W XY = 90◦ . Similarly, we also have ∠W Y Z + ∠XW Z =
90◦ .
What have we not used yet? We have two squares, so we should try to use those 90◦
angles some more. Notice that ∠W XY = 90 − ∠W XB, so both ∠AZY and ∠W XB are
complementary to the same angle ∠AZY : this means that ∠AZY = ∠W XB. Similarly, we
find that ∠XW Z = 90 − ∠BW X, so ∠BW X = ∠AY Z since they’re both complementary
to ∠XW Z. But this is AA similarity, so triangles AZY and BXW are similar!

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

To finish, we’ll use our length ratios. By similarity,

AZ AY x 12
= =⇒ =
BX BW 12 x+y

where we use the fact that BW = BC + CW = BC + AC. This means that x2 + xy = 144,
and we also know from above that x2 + y 2 = 144, so subtracting the two, y 2 − xy = 0, so
either y = x or y = 0. Since y is a side length, we must have y = x, so x2 + x2 = 144, and
√ √
x = y = 6 2 for a perimeter of x + y + 12 = 12 + 12 2 .

1.2 Examples
1. (Michelle Chen) Points A and C are on a circle O, and point B is outside circle O
such that AB and BC are tangent to circle O and are perpendicular to each other.
Let D be another point on circle O such that CD is parallel to AB. Find ∠ADC.

2. (Alec Sun) Find the largest integer n for which any n-gon must have an angle less
than 173 degrees.

3. (Lehigh MC-2006-29) The angle trisectors of a regular pentagon intersect other ver-
tices of the pentagon; i.e. they are diagonals of the pentagon. (See the left figure in
the diagram below.) What is the smallest n > 5 such that the angle trisectors of a
regular n-gon intersect other vertices of the n-gon? (The right side of the diagram
below illustrates that n = 6 does not work.)

4. (AMC10-2008-B24) Quadrilateral ABCD has AB = BC = CD, ∠ABC = 70◦ , and

∠BCD = 170◦ . What is the degree measure of ∠BAD?

(A) 75 (B) 80 (C) 85 (D) 90 (E) 95

1.3 Exercises
1. (Lehigh MC-2000-23) In a right triangle ABC, AD = AE and CF = CE as shown.
If ∠DEF = x degrees, compute x.

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MC35G Chapter 1. Angles

2. (Rachel Zhang) The angles of a convex 12-gon are all integer degrees and form and
arithmetic sequence. What is the smallest value of the smallest angle in the 12-gon,
in degrees?

3. (Math Day at the Beach-2012-Individual-19) The figure below contains a regular

pentagon and an equilateral triangle. Let a < b < c < d < e be all the different
measures of all of the angles in the picture. Compute
b e d
+ + .
a d b

4. (Lehigh MC-2004-25) A square is partitioned into 30 non-overlapping triangles, so

that each side of the square is a side of one of the triangles. We also require that
the intersection of any two triangles is either empty, a common vertex, or a common
edge. How many points in the interior of the square serve as vertices of one or more
triangles?

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