Sum of Internal Angles of Polygon

From ProofWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Theorem

The sum $S$ of all internal angles of a polygon with $n$ sides is given by the formula $S = \paren {n - 2} 180 \degrees$.


Corollary

The size $A$ of each internal angle of a regular $n$-gon is given by:

$A = \dfrac {\paren {n - 2} 180 \degrees} n$


Proof 1

The Polygon Triangulation Theorem shows that there exists a triangulation of the polygon that consists of $n - 2$ triangles.

The sides of these triangles are sides and chords of the polygon, where the chords lie completely in the interior of $P$.

Hence the vertices of the triangles are vertices of the polygon.

Sum of Angles of Triangle equals Two Right Angles shows that the sum of the internal angles of a triangle is $180 \degrees$.

As the triangulation covers the polygon, the sum of the internal angles of the vertices of the triangles in the triangulation is equal to $S$.

So:

$S = \paren {n - 2} 180 \degrees$

$\blacksquare$


Proof 2

This proof assumes that the polygon is convex.

Name a vertex as $A_1$, go clockwise and name the vertices as $A_2, A_3, \ldots, A_n$.

By joining $A_1$ to every vertex except $A_2$ and $A_n$, one can form $\paren {n - 2}$ triangles in a fan triangulation of the convex polygon.

From Sum of Angles of Triangle equals Two Right Angles, the sum of the internal angles of a triangle is $180 \degrees$.

Therefore, the sum of internal angles of a polygon with $n$ sides is $\paren {n - 2} 180 \degrees$.

$\blacksquare$


Sources