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If the sum of the interior angles α and β is less than 180°, the two straight lines, produced indefinitely, meet on that side. In geometry, the parallel postulate, also called Euclid's fifth postulate because it is the fifth postulate in Euclid's Elements, is a distinctive axiom in Euclidean geometry.
Euclidean geometry is a mathematical system attributed to ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, which he described in his textbook on geometry, Elements.Euclid's approach consists in assuming a small set of intuitively appealing axioms (postulates) and deducing many other propositions from these.
More formally, the only permissible constructions are those granted by the first three postulates of Euclid's Elements. It turns out to be the case that every point constructible using straightedge and compass may also be constructed using compass alone , or by straightedge alone if given a single circle and its center.
Parallel lines are the subject of Euclid's parallel postulate. [2] Parallelism is primarily a property of affine geometries and Euclidean geometry is a special instance of this type of geometry. In some other geometries, such as hyperbolic geometry , lines can have analogous properties that are referred to as parallelism.
The independence of the parallel postulate from Euclid's other axioms was finally demonstrated by Eugenio Beltrami in 1868. [65] The various attempted proofs of the parallel postulate produced a long list of theorems that are equivalent to the parallel postulate.
In Euclidean geometry, the triangle postulate states that the sum of the angles of a triangle is two right angles. This postulate is equivalent to the parallel postulate. [1] In the presence of the other axioms of Euclidean geometry, the following statements are equivalent: [2] Triangle postulate: The sum of the angles of a triangle is two ...
The Elements (Ancient Greek: Στοιχεῖα Stoikheîa) is a mathematical treatise consisting of 13 books attributed to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid c. 300 BC. It is a collection of definitions, postulates, propositions (theorems and constructions), and mathematical proofs of the propositions.
Saccheri quadrilaterals. A Saccheri quadrilateral is a quadrilateral with two equal sides perpendicular to the base.It is named after Giovanni Gerolamo Saccheri, who used it extensively in his 1733 book Euclides ab omni naevo vindicatus (Euclid freed of every flaw), an attempt to prove the parallel postulate using the method reductio ad absurdum.