66. The Law of Tangents. (a) First proof. Let ABC be any triangle. With a vertex C as a center and 6, the shorter of the sides adjacent to C, as a radius, draw a circle cutting BC in P and BC produced in Q. Draw AP and AQ. Triangles ACP and ACQ are isosceles and QAP is a right angle (Why?). Denote the whole angle A at A by w, and the three parts by +, y, 2, Fig, 68. as indicated in the figure, then angle APC = x and angle AQC = (Why ?). Also aty=A, x-y=B, x+2=90°, r+ y+s=w. Solving these equations for x, y, 2 and w, we obtain x=4(A+B), y=3(A—B), 2=90°-3 (A+B), w= go? +4 (A — B). Now apply the law of sines to each of the triangles APB and AQB, thus, — AB _ sin (180) sine, ,4 AB _ sins BP siny sin y BQ sinw’66] PROPERTIES OF TRIANGLES 13m or e _ sing (4+ B) ec _ 9085 (4+ B) a—b sing(A—B) a+b cosg(d—B) Similarly, a_ _sing(B+0) a = 08a (B+ ©) (6) singj(B-©) b+e cos3(B—C) b sing 5 - g(C+ A), b = Oa (Ct A). e—a_ sing(C— A) e+a cos3(C— A) Dividing the first of each pair of equations by the second gives ats _ tang (4+) b+e_ tang (B+ ©) E a@—6 tani(1—B)’ bc tang(B—c)’ ete _ tang (C+ 4) e-a ~ tang (G— A) Formulas (7) embody the Law of tangents: In any triangle, the sum of two sides is to their difference as the tangent of half the sum of the angles opposite is to the tangent of half their difference. The formulas (6), which we shall have occasion to use hereafter, we shall refer to by the name of Double Formulas.* (b) Second Proof. The law of tangents can be proven more easily without the intervention of the double formulas. In Fig. 68 draw PR parallel to QA, then angle APR = angle QAP = 90°, From the similar triangles BOA and BPR, we have AQ BQ _4Q_ AP BP RP RP’ AP but BQ=a+b, BP=a-4, and 40 — tan APQ = tans = tan} (A +B), RP < = tan RAP = tany = tan} (A —B AP . ( » * Also called Mollweide’s formulas, after the German astronomer (1774-1825) who introduced their use. The cosine form of these formulas appears in New- ton’s Arithmetica universalis (1707).132 PLANE TRIGONOMETRY [cwar. vir a@+_ tan} (A+B) a@—b tan}(A — B) The law of tangents and double formulas are adapted to the loga- rithmic solution of the third case of oblique triangles, that is, when two sides and the included angle are given. Suppose the given parts are a,b and C. The different steps in the solution are as fol- lows: 1. 4(A + B) is found from the relation A + B = 180° — C. 2. }(A — B) is found from the law of tangents, formula (7), 1st. equation. 3. Adding and subtracting the results of 1 and 2 we have A(A+B)+3(A-—B)=A, 4(A+B)—-4(A-B)=B. 4. cis found from the double formula (6). Having found A and B, ¢ could have been determined from the law of sines, thus, — c=, or c= but this would require us to look up three new logarithms, namely, those of a,sinC,sin A, or 6,sinC, sin B. while the double formula requires but two new logarithms, those of sin} (A+ B), sin} (A —B), or cos} (A + B),cos} (4 — B), and these may be taken out at the same time and the same opening of the table with the logarithms of tan } (A+ B) and tan } (A— B).