Geometric Axioms: Points, Lines, Planes, and Distance, Study notes of Mathematics

Download Geometric Axioms: Points, Lines, Planes, and Distance and more Study notes Mathematics in PDF only on Docsity! 73 Appendix A.1 Basic Notions We take the terms point, line, plane, and space as undefined. We also use the concept of a set and a subset, belongs to or is an element of a set. In a formal axiomatic approach we use only the properties of the undefined terms stated in the axioms and are not allowed to make conclusions based on drawings. Our first axiom regards lines, planes and space as sets of points. Axiom A.1. Lines, planes and space are sets of points. Space contains all points. In geometry, it is common to use the terms on, in, passes through, and lies on. We say that a point is on a line rather than belongs to a line. Synonymously, we say that a linepasses through a given point. We also say that a point is on a plane or in a plane. A line lies in a plane if it is a subset of the plane, i.e. if every point on the line is also in the plane. Points that are on the same line are called collinear and if they are on the same plane they are coplanar. The following axioms describe the fundamental relationships among points, lines and planes. The accompanied figures are only models for the relationships. Axiom A.2. Any two distinct points are on exactly one line. Every line contains at least two points. Figure 1 Remark. It may seem that this axiom implies that all line are straight, otherwise more than one line could be drawn through two points. First notice that “straightness” has not 74 yet been defined. Second we will show in Chapter 5 an example of geometry in which lines are objects that satisfy Axiom A.2 and other axioms in this section but are not straight. Axiom A.3. Any three noncollinear points are on exactly one plane. Each plane contains at least three noncollinear points. Figure 2 Axiom A.4. If two points of a line are in a plane, then the entire line is in the plane. Figure 3 Axiom A.5. In space if two planes have a point in common, then the planes have an entire line in common. Axiom A.6. In space if there exist at least four points that are noncoplanar. Remarks on the Axioms: 77 Figure 7 to determine a plane: two parallel lines determine a plane. However, we need first to define parallel lines. DEFINITION OF PARALLEL AND SKEW LINES Two lines are parallel if they lie in the same plane and do not intersect. Lines that do not intersect and are not contained in any single plane are called skew lines. If ` and m are parallel we write ` ‖ m. Notice that in Figure 4 ←→AB ‖ ←→DC, ←→AB ‖ ←→EH,←→ AC ‖ ←→FH, but ←→AB and ←→DE are skew lines. (Later we will define a cube and will be able to prove these facts.) INVESTIGATION 1 (a) What is the maximum number of intersection points determined by n lines in the same plane. (b) What is the maximum number of lines determined by n points? Does it matter if the points are in the same plane or not? Intuitive Background for Coordinate System and Distance Following G.D. Birkhoff’s axioms (see Section 1.1), we introduce now the concept of distance, assuming the existence and properties of real numbers. We start with an intuitive background which will motivate the axioms and definitions that follow. Given any line, a coordinate system on the line can be created by choosing arbitrary point O on the line and corresponding to it the number 0. The point O is called the origin. Then to the right of point O another point P is chosen (see Figure 8) to which 78 we correspond the number 1. The segment OP is called a unit segment. By laying off Figure 8 OP to the right and left of O, we find points corresponding to integers. By dividing segments into an appropriate number of equal parts we can find points that correspond to all rational numbers. The reader most likely knows that any real number (and not only rational numbers) corresponds to some point on the line, and, conversely, every point on the line corresponds to some real number. (In Chapter 3 we will show how to find points that correspond to real numbers such as √ 2 and √ 5.) Thus, there is one to one correspondence between the points on a line and the real numbers. Such a correspondence is called a coordinate system for a line. The number corresponding to a given point P is called the coordinate of P . Thus, the coordinate of Q in Figure 8 is 2.5. If we denote the line in Figure 8 by x we write the coordinate of Q as xQ. Thus, xQ = 2.5 and xR = −3. The distance between two points can be found using the coordinates of the points. For example, in Figure 8 we have PQ = OQ−OP = xQ−xP = 2.5− 1 = 1.5. Notice that RP can also be found by finding the difference between the coordinates of the points: RP = xP − xR = 1 − (−3) = 4. Because distance is a nonnegative number and it is cumbersome to indicate which point has the greater coordinate, we use the absolute value function. Thus AB = |xA − xB|. Based on this discussion we introduce the following axiom and definitions. Axiom A.7. The Ruler Postulate. The points on a line can be put in one to one correspondence with the real numbers. Notice that this axiom implies that every line has an infinite number of points. DEFINITION OF A COORDINATE SYSTEM FOR A LINE The correspon- dence in Axiom A.7 is called a coordinate system for a line. A line with a coordinate system is called a number line. 79 DEFINITION OF A DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS The distance between points A and B, denoted by AB, is the real number |xA − xB| where xA and xB are the coordinates of A and B, respectively, in a coordinate system for AB. Notice that the distance between two points depends on the unit chosen for the co- ordinate system, that is, on the position of the point that corresponds to the number 1. Notice that because the distance from a point A to the origin is |xA| and there exist real numbers as large as we wish, we conclude that there are points on a line as far from the origin as we wish. We say that a line is infinite in length. The concept of distance can be used to define what is meant by saying that a point is between two other points. DEFINITION OF BETWEENNESS B is between A and C if and only if A, B, and C are collinear and AB + BC = AC (see Figure 7). In this case we write A−B − C. A B C Figure 9 Using the concept of betweenness for points it is possible to define various geometric figures. DEFINITION OF A SEGMENT The segment AB consists of the points A and B and all the points between A and B. The length of segment v is the distance between A and B, that is, AB. A point M between A and B such that AM = MB is a midpoint of AB. Our intuition tells us that every segment has exactly one midpoint. This fact can be proved using our axiom and definitions. You will be guided in the process of finding a proof in the problem set. Most of us probably find it more satisfying to prove statements that are not intuitively obvious. Nevertheless, you may find the challenge of proving a statement rewarding in itself even 82 Figure 13 define what is meant by a convex set. DEFINITION OF A CONVEX SET A set is convex if for every two points P and Q belonging to the set, the entire segment PQ is in the set. Figure 14 Notice that the interiors of the triangle as well as the circle in Figure 14(a) and (b) are convex sets. (We are making this statement on an intuitive basis. The interior of a triangle has not been defined yet.) Also the segment AB is a convex set (why?). However, the interiors of the figures in Figure 15(a) and (b) are not convex, as segments PQ in each figure does not entirely belong to the figure. PROBLEMS SOLVED AND UNSOLVED Properties of convex sets have been extensively investigated and the concept has important applications in mathematics. 83 Figure 15 We briefly describe here two properties of convex sets. One of which has been proved and the other which has not. We use terminology that should be intuitively clear but has not yet been precisely defined. Chords intersecting at 60◦ In the interior of any closed convex curve (See Figure 18) there exists a point P and three cords through P (a chord of a region is a segment connecting any two boundary points of the region) with the following property: The six angles formed at P are 60◦ each and P is the midpoint of each of the chords. (The proof of this statement requires more extensive study of a convex sets.) Equichordal Points A point P in the interior of a region is an equichordal point if all chords through P are of the same length. For example the center of a circle is an equichordal point of the circle. However, there exists non-circular regions that have an equichordal point. In 1916 Fuijwara raised the question of whether there exists a plane convex region which has two equichordal points. No one has been able to give 84 a complete answer to this question. In 1984 Spaltenstein described a construction of a convex region on a sphere which has two equichordal points. (This does not answer the question posed in 1916 as the region is on a sphere and hence not a planar.) Axiom A.8. The Plane-Separation Axiom. Each line in a plane separates all the points of the plane which are not on the line into two nonempty sets, called the half planes, with the following properties: (i) The half planes are disjoint (have no points in common) convex sets. (ii) If P is in one half plane and Q is in the other, the segment PQ intersects `. Figure 17 Notice that neither of the half planes in Axiom A.8 includes the line. Thus, a line divides the plane into three mutually disjoint subsets: the two half planes and the line. Also, it follows from Axiom A.8 that a half plane is determined by a line and a point not on the line. Thus we can refer to the two half planes in Figure 17 as the half plane of ` containing P and the half plane of ` containing Q. Using Axiom A.8 it is possible to prove a theorem named after the German math- ematician Moritz Pasch (1843-1930) which states that if a line intersects one side of a triangle and does not go through any of its vertices it must also intersect another side (see Figure 18). In 1882, Pasch published one of the first rigorous treatises on geometry where he stated the theorem as an axiom (he did not use Axiom A.8 as an axiom). Pasch realized that Euclid often relied on assumptions made visually from diagrams and contributed to filling the gaps in Euclid’s reasoning. We state Pasch’s Axiom as a theorem and leave its proof to be explored in the problem set. 87 Angle Measurement Angles are commonly measured in degrees with a protractor. We will later introduce the radian measure as well. To measure ∠EAB we place the protractor as in Figure 22 and read off the measure of the angle as 140◦. The following axioms and definitions formalize Figure 22 the intuitive knowledge of the protractor. Axiom A.9. The Angle Measurement Axiom. To every angle ∠BAC corresponds a real number between 0 and 180. To a straight angle corresponds the number 180. The number in Axiom A.9 is called the degree measure of the angle and is written m(∠BAC). In Figure 23 m(∠BAC) = 50◦ and we say that ∠BAC is a 50 degree angle written 50◦. Axiom A.10. The Angle Construction Postulate. Let −−→ AB be a ray on the edge of a half-plane. For every real number r, 0 < r < 180, there is exactly one ray , with C in the half plane, such that m(∠CAB) = r. Axiom A.11. The Angle Addition Postulate. If D is a point in the interior of ∠BAC then m(∠BAD) + m(∠DAC) = m(∠BAC). Notice that Axiom A.11 implies that measures of angles can be computed by subtrac- tion, e.g., m(∠BAD) = m(∠BAC)−m(∠DAC). 88 Figure 23 Problem Set 1.1 In the following problems use the axioms, definitions and theorems of this section to prove what is required. 1. Prove that: (a) If two lines intersect, they lie in exactly one plane. (b) Two parallel lines determine a unique plane. 2. Consider the undefined terms: ball, player, and belongs to along with the following axioms: Axiom A.2 : There is at least one player. Axiom A.3 : To every player belong two balls. Axiom A.4 : Every ball belongs to three players. Prove or disprove each of the following: (a) There are at least 2 balls. (b) There are at least 3 players. (c) There is always an even number of balls. (d) The number of players is always odd. (Hint: You may want to model the balls by a point and players by segments.) 89 3. Consider the undefined terms: line, point, and belongs to along with the following axioms: Axiom A.2 : Any two lines have exactly one point in common. Axiom A.3 : Every point is on (belongs to) exactly two lines. Axiom A.4 : There are exactly 4 lines. Answer each of the following: (a) How many points are there? Prove your answer. (b) Prove that there are exactly 3 points on each line. (You may prefer to substitute the term point by person and line by committee.) 4. Prove Pasch’s Axiom. 5. Using the terminology of this section come up with a precise definition of the interior of a triangle. 6. Is the betweenness of rays well-defined? Explain. 7. Which of the following is true always, sometimes but not always, or never? Justify your answers. (a) The intersection of two convex sets is convex. (b) The intersection of two nonconvex sets is a nonconvex set. (c) The union of two convex sets is convex. (d) The union of two nonconvex sets is nonconvex.