Points, Lines, and Triangles in Hyperbolic Geometry.

Postulates and Theorems to be Examined.

In forming the foundation on which to build plane geometry, certain terms are
accepted as being undefined, their meanings being intuitively understood. The units that
are presented will accept the following undefined terms:
Point
Line
Lie on
Between
Congruent.
Terms used in the modules will be defined as follows:
1. Line segment: The segment AB,
AB
, consists of the points A and B and
all the points on line AB that are between A and B
2. Circle: The set of all points, , that are a fi!ed distance from
a fi!ed point, ", called the center of the circle.
#. Parallel lines: Two lines, l and m are parallel if they do not intersect.
The following postulates will be e!amined:
1. There e!ists a uni$ue line through any two points.
2. If A, B, and % are three distinct points lying on the same line, then one and only one
of the points is between the other two.
#. If two lines intersect then their intersection is e!actly one point.
&. A line can be e!tended infinitely.
'. A circle can be drawn with any center and any radius.
(. The Parallel Postulate: If there is a line and a point not on the line, then there is
e!actly one line through the point parallel to the given line.
1
). The Perpendicular Postulate: If there is a line and a point not on the line, then there
is e!actly one line through the point perpendicular to the given line.
*. Corresponding Angles Postulate: If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal, then
the pairs of corresponding angles are congruent.
+. Corresponding Angles Conerse: If two lines are cut by a transversal so that
corresponding angles are congruent, then the lines are parallel.
1,. !A! Congruence Postulate: If two sides and the included angle of one triangle are
congruent respectively to two sides and the included angle of another triangle, then
the two triangles are congruent.
The following theorems will be e!plored:
1. "ertical Angles Theorem: -ertical angles are congruent.
2. Alternate #nterior Angles Theorem: If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal,
then the pairs of alternate interior angles are congruent.
#. Consecutie #nterior Angles Theorem: If two parallel lines are cut by a transversal,
then the pairs of consecutive interior angles are supplementary.
&. Perpendicular Transersal Theorem: If a transversal is perpendicular to one of two
parallel lines, then it is perpendicular to the other.
'. Theorem: If two lines are parallel to the same line, then they are parallel to each
other.
(. Theorem: If two lines are perpendicular to the same line, then they are parallel to
each other.
). Triangle !um Theorem: The sum of the measures of the interior angles of a triangle
is 1*,
o
.
*. Exterior Angle Theorem: The measure of an e!terior angle of a triangle is e$ual to
the sum of the measures of the two nonad.acent interior angles.
+. Third Angles Theorem: If two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of
another triangle, then the third angles must also be congruent.
1,. Angle$Angle !imilarity Theorem: If two triangles have their corresponding angles
congruent, then their corresponding sides are in proportion and they are similar.
2
11. !ide$!ide$!ide %!!!& Congruence Theorem: If three sides of one triangle are
congruent to three sides of a second triangle, then the two triangles are congruent.
12. Angle$!ide$Angle %A!A& Congruence Theorem: If two angles and the included side
of one triangle are congruent to two angles and the included side of a second triangle,
then the two triangles are congruent.
1#. Theorem o' Pythagoras: In a right triangle, the s$uare on the hypotenuse is e$ual to
the sum of the s$uares of the legs.
1&. (ase Angles Theorem: If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then the angles
opposite the sides are congruent.
1'. Conerse o' the (ase Angles Theorem: If two angles of a triangle are congruent,
then the sides opposite them are congruent.
1(. E)uilateral Triangle Theorem: If a triangle is e$uilateral, then it is also
e$uiangular.
/inally, students will investigate whether they can use the formula
1
0
2
bh to find the area
of a triangle on the hyperbolic plane.
#
Points, Lines, and Triangles in Hyperbolic Geometry.
*b+ecties:
1uring this module of activities, students will
1. 2earn to use different software programs that enable them to gain an intuitive
understanding of hyperbolic geometry through the use of the oincar3 model that
supports the properties of hyperbolic geometry.
2. %ompare their understanding of the terms point, line, and parallel in 4uclidean
geometry with what they discover in hyperbolic geometry.
#. 1etermine which of 4uclid5s five postulates are valid in hyperbolic geometry.
&. 1etermine whether the postulate of betweenness holds in hyperbolic geometry.
'. 1etermine whether vertical angles are congruent on the hyperbolic plane.
(. 1etermine that through a point not on a line, more than one parallel line can be drawn
to a given line.
). 1iscover whether the theorems and postulates regarding corresponding, alternate, and
interior angles on the same side of the transversal are valid on the hyperbolic plane.
*. 4stablish that the sum of the angles of a triangle on the hyperbolic plane is less than
1*,
,
.
+. 1etermine whether the measure of the e!terior angle of a triangle on the hyperbolic
plane is e$ual to the sum of the measures of the two nonad.acent interior angles.
1,. Investigate the Third Angles Theorem.
11. Investigate similarity of triangles on the hyperbolic plane.
12. Investigate congruence of triangles on the hyperbolic plane.
1#. 1etermine whether the base angles theorem and its converse are valid on the
hyperbolic plane.
&
,odels 'or !tudying Hyperbolic Geometry.
6odels are useful for visuali7ing and e!ploring the properties of geometry. A
number of models e!ist for e!ploring the geometric properties of the hyperbolic plane. It
should be pointed out to the students however, that these models do not 8loo9 li9e: the
hyperbolic plane. The models merely serve as a means of e!ploring the properties of the
geometry.
The (eltrami$-lein ,odel 'or !tudying Hyperbolic Geometry.
The Beltrami;<lein model is often referred to simply as the <lein model because
of the e!tensive wor9 done in geometry with this model by the =erman mathematician
/eli! <lein. In this model, a circle is fi!ed with center " and fi!ed radius. All points in
the interior of the circle are part of the hyperbolic plane. oints on the circumference of
the circle are not part of the plane itself. 2ines are therefore open chords, with the
endpoints of the chords on the circumference of the circle but not part of the plane.
The >yperbolic A!iom of arallelism states that for every line l and every point
with

l there e!ists at least two distinct lines parallel to l that pass through . ?tudents
should be reminded at this stage that lines are defined as being parallel if they have no
points of intersection. /rom the figure it is clear that neither line n nor m meet l, and they
are thus both parallel to l. @The fact that the lines may intersect l outside the circle is of no
concern, since points outside the circle do not form part of the hyperbolic plane.A The
<lein model satisfies the >yperbolic A!iom of arallelism.
l
n
m
'
In addition, it can be easily shown that the model satisfies the a!ioms of
incidence, betweenness, and continuity, and with more effort, it can be shown that the
model satisfies the a!ioms of congruence.
The Poincar. Hal' Plane ,odel 'or !tudying Hyperbolic Geometry.
In the oincar3 half plane model, the 4uclidean plane is divided by a 4uclidean
line into two half planes. It is customary to choose the !;a!is as the line that divides the
plane. The hyperbolic plane is the plane on one side of this 4uclidean line, normally the
upper half of the plane where y B ,. In this model, lines are either
aA the intersection of points lying on a line drawn vertical to the !;a!is and the half
plane, or
bA points lying on the circumference of a semicircle drawn with its center on the !;
a!is.
2ines in the oincar3 >alf lane model
The model satisfies all the a!ioms of incidence, betweenness, congruence,
incidence and the hyperbolic a!iom of parallelism. Angles are measured in the normal
4uclidean way. The angle between two lines is e$ual to the 4uclidean angle between the
tangents drawn to the lines at their points of intersection. /inding the length of a line
segment is a more comple! e!ercise.
(
l
m
n
P
x
A
(
C

x
(
A
C
/inding angle measure in the oincar3 >alf lane model

The Poincar. /is0 ,odel 'or !tudying Hyperbolic Geometry.
>enri oincar3 @1*'& C 1+12A developed a dis9 model that represents points in the
hyperbolic plane as points in the interior of a 4uclidean circle. In this model, lines are not
straight as the student is used to seeing them on the 4uclidean plane. Instead, lines are
represented by arcs of circles that are orthogonal to the circle defining the dis9. In this
model therefore, the only lines that appear to be straight in the 4uclidean sense are
diameters of the dis9. In addition, the boundary of the circle does not really e!ist, and
distances become distorted in this model. All the points in the interior of the circle are
part of the hyperbolic plane. In this plane, two points lie on a 8line: if the 8line: forms an
arc of a circle orthogonal to %. The only hyperbolic lines that are straight in the 4uclidean
sense are those that are diameters of the circle.
m
B
A
C
2ines in the oincar3 model %onstructing the angle between two
lines in the oincar3 model.
)
This model satisfies all the a!ioms of incidence, betweenness, congruence, continuity,
and the hyperbolic a!iom of parallelism. The angle between two lines is the measure of
the 4uclidean angle between the tangents drawn to the lines at their points of intersection.
Hyperbolic !o't1are.
There are two programs that will allow students to discover aspects of hyperbolic
geometry dynamically. The first of these is a program of script tools created by 6i9e
Ale!ander and modified by Bill /in7er and Dic9 Eac9iw for the =eometer5s ?9etchpad
1

The software can be downloaded from the Internet at the following address:
http:00mathforum.org0s9etchpad0gsp.gallery0poincare0poincare.html
Instructions for the download are given and once downloaded, the scripts become a part
of the users =eometer5s ?9etchpad program. This software uses the oincar3 model for
hyperbolic geometry and allows students to e!periment drawing lines, triangles, bisecting
angles and lines, and much more. It is important that students understand that they are
studying aspects of hyperbolic geometry intuitively through the use of models. Fhile this
study is not e!act, it does allow students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the
geometry and how it compares with 4uclidean geometry on the plane. There are some
advantages of this software over the second one to be discussed later. =eometer5s
?9etchpad presents the oincar3 dis9 with its center clearly shown and the user is able to
move a line and observe what happens to points on the line as it is moved. In addition, if
comparisons are to be made between 4uclidean and hyperbolic geometry, the student can
wor9 in the 4uclidean plane alongside the oincar3 dis9, and comparisons can be easily
made. A disadvantage of this model is that it does not offer a script for reflection and
therefore this aspect of the geometry is difficult to study.
1
6arlele% 1wyer and Gichard 4. fiefer. Exploring Hyperbolic Geometry with the
Geometers !"etchpa#. 6athematics Teacher -olume +2 Dumber ) "ctober 1+++
*
A second website offering students the opportunity to e!perience hyperbolic
geometry dynamically can be found on the Internet at
http:00math.rice.edu00H.oel0Don4uclid
Don4uclid is a Eava ?otware simulation that offers ruler and compass constructions using
both the oincar3 1is9 and the Ipper >alf;lane models of hyperbolic geometry. The
program can be downloaded directly by clic9ing in the space indicated. If students wish
to use the oincar3 dis9, they are presented with a circle representing the hyperbolic
space. The user can then select to plots points, find midpoints, find points of intersection,
or plot a point on an ob.ect. In addition, the following constructions are available: draw a
segment, ray or line, draw a perpendicular, draw a circle, bisect an angle, and reflect. The
user can also select to draw a segment of specific length @useful for drawing isosceles or
e$uilateral trianglesA, or a ray at a specific angle.
"ne disadvantage of this software over the =eometer5s ?9etchpad is that the dis9
does not have its center shown. An advantage is that it has a reflection option that offers
the user the opportunity to tessellate the plane. Geflection is also very useful when
investigating aspects of congruence of triangles on the hyperbolic plane. The student will
also find this construction site very useful when attempting to construct one angle
congruent to another or one line segment congruent to another. The option to #raw a
segment o$ a speci$ic length or to #raw a ray at a speci$ic angle is very useful when
attempting to discover aspects related to congruence and similarity of triangles
#ntroduction.
Fhat follows is a series of student;centered activities in which students are actively
involved in discovering similarities and differences between 4uclidean geometry and
hyperbolic geometry. Although the activities presented would wor9 e$ually well on
either the dis9 or half;plane model, for the purposes of consistency, we will use only the
oincar3 1is9 model.
The appro!imate time for each activity is shown in parentheses ne!t to the %ote to
the &eacher following each activity. ?tudents should be encouraged to do each activity
+
as it arises and answer the accompanying $uestions. Fhen students are as9ed to do a
construction, they should be encouraged to actually do so as this serves as an opportunity
for students to review these construction methods. 2i9ewise, when students are as9ed to
prove one of their 4uclidean theorems, they should be encouraged to actually do this, as
they will once again be reviewing some of the properties of the 4uclidean geometry they
have already learnt. The teacher may wish to ta9e time out at the end of each period to
discuss the students5 observations and get feedbac9 from the students on what they have
discovered.
Actiities
After students have been introduced to the oincar3 dis9 and lines in this model of
the hyperbolic plane, they are ready to use the software introduced above for the
following activities.
2. #n Euclidean geometry the point is an unde'ined term and is used as a
'oundation on 1hich the geometry is deeloped. /o you thin0 that 1e could
adopt the point as an unde'ined term in hyperbolic geometry3 4usti'y your
ans1er.
5ote to the teacher: @' minutesA
As in 4uclidean geometry, we need some basic terminology on which to build
hyperbolic geometry. The point can be adopted as an undefined term in hyperbolic
geometry. ?tudents should construct some points on the oincar3 dis9 and label them
A, B, %, and so on.
1,
A
C D
B
6. a& Locate t1o points in the Euclidean plane. 7hat is the shortest path bet1een
these t1o points3
b& 8se the Euclidean point tool to locate t1o points A and ( in the hyperbolic
plane. 8sing the hyperbolic segment tool, dra1 the segment bet1een the t1o
points. Compare the segments dra1n. #n the Geometer9s !0etchpad Poincar.
model, use the Euclidean select tool to moe one o' the endpoints o' the segment
around the plane. #n the 5on$Euclid utility, consider a 'ixed point, and then
construct di''erent lines 1hich pass through this point and another point on the
dis0. Comment on the nature o' the line segment +oining the points in the
hyperbolic plane as compared to the Euclidean line segment.
A line in the oincar3 dis9 becomes straight in the 4uclidean sense when it passes
through the center of the dis9.
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
In hyperbolic geometry a line is defined as an arc of a circle that is orthogonal to
the circumference of the dis9. It should be pointed out to students that while the
lines in the hyperbolic plane appear to be finite in length, this is in fact not the
case. 1istances are distorted in this model, and the boundary of the dis9 is
considered to be at infinity. ?tudents also need to note that when a line is
constructed it loo9s more curved when it is away from the center of the dis9 and
as it becomes closer and closer to the center, it becomes more straight in the
4uclidean sense.
11
A
Before going any further, it may be important that students reali7e that in the
=eometer5s ?9etchpad model there are two different line tools and line segment
tools that are being used throughout these activities. Fhen wor9ing on the
4uclidean plane, the 4uclidean line tool is used. If this tool is used on the
hyperbolic plane, a 4uclidean line segment will result. In order to draw lines or
line segments on the hyperbolic plane, the student must select the hyperbolic line
or line segment option.
:. Euclid9s 'irst postulate states that 'or eery point P and 'or eery point ; 1here
P ;, a uni)ue line passes through P and ;.
Create a ne1 dis0. /ra1 t1o points P and ; on the dis0. /ra1 a line that passes
through these t1o points. Label t1o points on the line. Try to see i' you can dra1
a di''erent line through these t1o points. /oes Euclid9s 'irst postulate hold in
hyperbolic geometry3
5ote to the teacher. @1, minutesA
4uclid5s first postulate holds in hyperbolic geometry. A uni$ue line e!ists through
any two points in the hyperbolic plane.
12
P
Q
<. a& Locate three points A, (, and C on a line on the Euclidean plane. The
Betweenness Axiom states that i' A, (, and C are points on the Euclidean plane,
then one and only one point is bet1een the other t1o.
b& /oes the Betweenness Axiom hold on the hyperbolic plane3
5ote to the teacher: @' minutesA
The Betweenness A!iom holds for hyperbolic plane.

=. a& /ra1 t1o lines on the Euclidean plane. #n ho1 many points do these lines
intersect3
1#
A B C
P
Q
R
P Q
R
b& /ra1 t1o lines on the hyperbolic plane. #n ho1 many points do the lines
intersect3
5ote to the teacher. @1, minutesA
"n both the 4uclidean and hyperbolic planes, lines intersect in a ma!imum of one
point, or they have no points of intersection @parallel linesA.
>. T1o lines are de'ined as being parallel i' they hae no points in common.
a& /ra1 a line l on the Euclidean plane. Locate a point A that is not on l.
Construct a line through A that is parallel to l. Ho1 many possible lines can
you construct3
b& /ra1 a line m on the hyperbolic plane. ,ar0 a point P not on m. /ra1 a line
through P that is parallel to m. Ho1 many possible lines can you construct3
/oes the Parallel Postulate hold on the hyperbolic plane3
1&
l
A
5ote to the teacher. @1' minutesA
The student should discover that an infinite number of lines can be drawn through
parallel to m. 4uclid5s fifth postulate does not hold in hyperbolic geometry, and
is in fact what separates the two geometries.
?. !tate Euclid9s parallel postulate. Ho1 1ould you re$1ord the postulate so that it
is true 'or the hyperbolic plane3
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
The e$uivalent of the parallel postulate on the hyperbolic plane states that if l is a
line and is a point not on l then more than one line parallel to l can be drawn
through .
@. Lines in Euclidean geometry are o' in'inite length. Can the same be said o' lines
in the hyperbolic plane3
1'
m
P
5ote to the teacher. @1, minutesA
?tudents should be reminded that although the oincare model uses a dis9 to
represent the hyperbolic plane, the boundary of the dis9 represents infinity in the
hyperbolic sense. This means that if a two;dimensional creature e!isted in the
center of the dis9 and this creature wal9ed towards the boundary of the dis9 with
steps of e$ual length, then for an observer on the outside, it would seem that the
steps were getting progressively shorter and shorter. This means that distances are
distorted in the 4uclidean sense in this model. In the above diagram the distance
from to J is 1.+& units while the distance from ? to T is #.#* units, yet the
distance from ? to T appears to be much less than that from to J
A. a& Euclid9s third postulate states that a circle can be dra1n 1ith any center and
any radius.
b& /ra1 a number o' circles 1ith centers located at di''erent points in the
hyperbolic plane. 7hat appears to happen to the circle as the center gets nearer
the edge o' the dis03 /oes this mean that the center o' a circle near the edge o'
the dis0 is not located e)uidistant 'rom the points on its circum'erence3
1(
P
T
S
R
Q
PQ = 1.94
PR = 2.56
PS = 3.18
PT = 5.33
ST = 3.38

5ote to the teacher. @1, minutesA
?tudents should be reminded that 4uclidean distances are not conserved in the
hyperbolic plane. All points on the circumference of the circle in the hyperbolic
plane are the same constant distance from the center of the circle. This is evident
from the second diagram shown above.
2B. a& /ra1 t1o intersecting lines on the Euclidean plane. 8se a protractor to
measure the ertical angles. Con'irm that the ertical angles are congruent.
b
c
d
e b& /ra1 t1o lines on the hyperbolic plane.
i& ,easure the pairs o' ad+acent angles. Are they supplementary3
ii& ,easure the ertical angles. Are the pairs o' ertical angles
congruent3
1)
Distance = 1.91
Distance = 1.91
Distance = 1.91
A
B
C
D
E
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
?tudents will discover that the ad.acent angles on a hyperbolic line are
supplementary and that the vertical angles are congruent.
22. a& /ra1 a line on the Euclidean plane. Locate a point A not on the line.
Construct a perpendicular 'rom point A to the line. Ho1 many perpendiculars
can you construct3
1*
R
S
P
Q
O
1
2
3
4
m1 = 70.0
m2 = 70.0
m3 = 110.0
m4 = 110.0
A
b& /ra1 a line on the hyperbolic plane. Locate a point P not on the line. Can you
construct a perpendicular 'rom the point to the line3 #' so, ho1 many
perpendiculars can you construct3
,easure the angle at the point o'
intersection to con'irm that the
angle is a right angle.
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
"n both the 4uclidean plane and the hyperbolic plane only one perpendicular can
be drawn from a point to a line. The construction of a perpendicular in the
hyperbolic plane is done in much the same way as one would construct a
perpendicular on the 4uclidean plane. 2ocate a point not on line l. 1escribe a
circle with as center to cut l in points 6 and D. 1escribe a circle with 6 as
center and passing through . 1raw a circle with D as center and passing through
. 6ar9 the other point at which the circle intersect with J. Eoin and J. J is
perpendicular to l.
1+
P
m1 = 90.0
1
l
P
N
M
Q
m1 = 90
1
26. a& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines and a transersal on the Euclidean plane.
,easure the corresponding angles and con'irm that they are congruent.
b& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines and a transersal on the hyperbolic plane.
,easure the pairs o' corresponding angles and determine 1hether the
corresponding angles postulate is alid on the hyperbolic plane.
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
?tudents will discover that on the hyperbolic plane, corresponding angles are not
congruent. >ere it is important that students are reminded that lines are parallel if
they do not have common points. In the hyperbolic plane, parallel lines are not
e$uidistant from each other.
2,
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
107.8
84.4

2:. a& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines on the Euclidean plane. Proe that the alternate
interior angles are congruent.
b& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines on the hyperbolic plane. ,easure the alternate
angles and determine 1hether they are congruent.
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
?tudent will discover that on the hyperbolic plane, alternate angles are not
congruent.
2<. a& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines on the Euclidean plane. Proe that the
consecutie interior angles are supplementary.
21
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
107.8
84.4

b& /ra1 a pair o' parallel lines on the hyperbolic plane. ,easure the consecutie
interior angles. Are these pairs o' angles supplementary3
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
The student will discover that the consecutive interior angles on the hyperbolic
plane are not supplementary.
2=. The Perpendicular Transersal Theorem states that i' a transersal is
perpendicular to one o' t1o parallel lines on the Euclidean plane, then it is
perpendicular to the other.
/ra1 t1o parallel lines l and m on the hyperbolic plane. At a point on l dra1 a
perpendicular transersal. /etermine 1hether the aboe theorem is alid on the
hyperbolic plane.
22
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
107.8
95.6
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
The student will discover that in some cases a transversal for one of a pair of
parallel lines does not intersect the second line. Fhen the transversal does
intersect, it is not perpendicular to the second line. The 4uclidean theorem is thus
not valid on the hyperbolic plane.
2>. a& /ra1 line l on the Euclidean plane. Through point A, not on l, construct a line
m that is parallel to l. Locate another point ( that is not on either l or m. /ra1 a
line n through ( parallel to l. #s m parallel to n3 Can you proe this3
2#
l
m
m1 = 90.0
1
m2 = 35.9
2
n
m
l
A
B
b& /ra1 a line r on the hyperbolic plane. Through a point P not on r, dra1 a line
s that is parallel to r. Through point ; that is not on either r or s, dra1 a line t
that is parallel to r. Are s and t parallel3
Cigure %a& Cigure %b&
5ote to the teacher: @1, minutesA
?tudents will confirm that on the 4uclidean plane if two lines are parallel to the
same line, then they are parallel to each other. "n the hyperbolic plane, however,
it is possible for two lines parallel to a third line to be parallel or non;parallel as
shown in the diagram above.
In /igure @aA above, r KK s and r KK t, and s KK t. >owever, in figure @bA r KK s and r KK t
and s and t are not parallel.
2?. a& /ra1 a line l on the Euclidean plane. Locate t1o points A and ( on the line.
At each point construct a perpendicular line. Are the t1o perpendicular lines
parallel. Can you proe this3
2&
r
s
t
P
Q
r
s
t
P
Q
b& /ra1 a line m on the hyperbolic plane. Locate at least t1o points P and ; on
the line. At each point dra1 a perpendicular to the line. Are the t1o lines
parallel3
c& *n the Euclidean plane i' t1o lines are perpendicular to the same line, then
the t1o lines are perpendicular. #s this true 'or the hyperbolic plane3
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
?tudents will discover that, as for the 4uclidean plane, if two lines are
perpendicular to the same line on the hyperbolic plane, then the two perpendicular
lines are parallel.
In neutral geometry @the geometry without any parallelism a!iomA which is true
for both 4uclidean and hyperbolic geometry, we are able to prove numerous
theorems. "ne of these theorems is the Alternate #nterior Angle Theorem. This
theorem states the following:
#' t1o lines cut by a transersal hae a pair o' congruent alternate interior
angles, then the t1o lines are parallel.
The proof of this theorem proceeds as follows. This proof may be difficult for
some students to understand, but it is provided none the less for those students
who may en.oy seeing the proof.
2'
m
P
Q
R
%onsider two lines l and l' and a transversal as shown in the figure, and let
1
A
and
L
1
A
be the two alternate interior angles that are congruent. Dow, if l and l' are not parallel
then they should meet at a point such as B in the figure. Fe now find point % on l' on the
opposite of B such that L A C AB . Then we see that
L L @ A AA B AA C !A! V V
. In
particular,
L
2 2
A A . Therefore, since
L
1
A and
L
2
A are supplementary,
1
A
and
2
A

should be supplementary. This means that % lies on l, and hence l and l' have two points
in common, which contradicts the first a!iom in both geometries, namely that two
distinct points define a uni$ue line. Therefore, l KK l'.
A corollary to this theorem is that two lines that are perpendicular to the same line are
parallel. This is true because if l and l' are both perpendicular to t, the alternate interior
angles are right angles and they are congruent.
Therefore we have proved in both geometries that if two lines that are perpendicular to a
line then they are parallel.
2(
l
l'
B
A'
A
C
1
1
2
2
2@. 7hen t1o lines cut by a transersal on the Euclidean plane, hae congruent
corresponding angles, then the t1o lines are parallel.
#nestigate 1hether the same is true 'or lines dra1n on the hyperbolic plane.
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
?tudents will discover that when corresponding angles are congruent, lines on the
hyperbolic plane will be parallel.
In fact, this is another corollary to the Alternate Interior Angle Theorem in neutral
geometry that we have .ust completed the proof for. In the following figure
1
A

and
L
1
A are corresponding angles.
L
2
A and
L
1
A are vertical angles that are
congruent in both geometries. Therefore, if
L
1 1
A A , then
L
2 1
A A . These
two are alternate interior angles and by the Alternate Interior Angle Theorem we
conclude that l and l5are parallel.
2)
m
1
m1 = 90.0
2
m2 = 90.0
m3 = 90.0
3
l'
l
A'
A
1
1
2
2A. a& /ra1 triangle A(C on the Euclidean plane. Proe that the sum o' the interior
angles o' a triangle on the Euclidean plane is e)ual to 2@B
o
.
b& /ra1 a triangle on the hyperbolic plane. 8se the hyperbolic measure tool to
measure the interior angles o' the triangle. Compare the sum o' the angles o' a
hyperbolic triangle to that o' a Euclidean triangle.
2*
Q
P
R
m2 = 12.9
m3 = 11.6
m1 m2 m3 = 42.2
1
2
3
m1 = 17.7
l
m
A C
B
1
2
3
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
Based on their bac9ground in 4uclidean geometry, students should be able to present
a s9etch and proof to show that the sum of the angles of a triangle on the plane is
1*,
o
. Dote that in the diagram provided above, MAB% is arbitrary, and line m is
parallel to segment AB.
2
C
and B are alternate interior angles, and therefore
congruent,
#
C
and A are corresponding angles and are therefore congruent, and
the sum of the three angles
1
C
,
2
C
and
#
C
is 1*,
,
.
/or the hyperbolic case, students reali7e that
@aA the sum of the angles of a hyperbolic triangle is less than 1*,
,
@bA there is not any fi!ed value @such as 1*,
,
A for the sum of the angles of a
hyperbolic triangle.
?tudents will also discover that they are able to construct triangles with angle
measure of 7ero degrees. ?ince these triangles have their vertices on infinity, we
consider them as a special case of study that is beyond the scope of this current wor9.
6B. a& /ra1 a triangle on the Euclidean plane. Extend one side o' the triangle to
create an exterior angle. Proe that the exterior angle is e)ual to the sum o' the
t1o non$ad+acent interior angles.
2+
A
B
D C
1 2
b& /ra1 a triangle on the hyperbolic plane. Extend one o' the sides o' the
triangle. ,easure the exterior angle and compare this measure 1ith the measure
o' the sum o' the measure o' the t1o non$ad+acent interior angles. 7hat can you
conclude3
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
?tudents can prove that the e!terior angle of a triangle is e$ual to the sum of the
two remote interior angles by using the triangle as shown above. ?ince the sum of
the angles of a triangle is 1*,
o
,
1
1*,
o
A B C + + = . But the ad.acent angles at
% are supplementary, so
1 2
1*,
o
C C + = . Therefore,
2
C A B = +
The student will discover that the measure of the e!terior angle of a hyperbolic
triangle is not e$ual to the sum of the measures of the non;ad.acent interior
angles. 2ogically, the student may argue that since
1 2
1*,
o
( ( + = and
1
( P ) + +
is less than 1*,
o
, then
2
(
is more than the sum of P and
)
. 6oving from intuition to logic is important and teachers should encourage
students to thin9 about possible reasons for their answers before using the
software to confirm their answers.
#,
Q
P
S
R
1
2
P=14.2
Q = 13.4
R1= 43.4
R2 = 136.6
62. *n the Euclidean plane, i' t1o angles o' one triangle are congruent to t1o angles
o' another triangle, then the third angles are congruent.
/ra1 a triangle on the hyperbolic plane. ,easure the angles o' the triangle.
Create a second triangle 1ith t1o angles in the second triangle congruent to t1o
angles in the 'irst. ,easure the third angle o' the triangle. Are the third angles
congruent3
5ote to the teacher. @1' minutesA
?tudents may find it easier to use the Don4uclid website for this activity. This
website offers a construction to create one angle congruent to another, ma9ing it
easier for the student to create the re$uired triangles.
?tudents will discover that if two angles of one triangle on the hyperbolic plane
are congruent to two angles of another, then the third angles are not necessarily
congruent. >ere, it is important to 9eep in mind that the third angles are not
congruent unless two triangles are congruent. This means that AAA is sufficient
to prove that two triangles in the hyperbolic plane are congruent. This point will
be addressed in $uestions that are posed ahead.
#1
1
3
m1 = 25.7
m2 = 7.0
m3 = 56.0
m4 = 25.7
m5 = 7.0
m6 = 133.0
6
4
5
2
66. a& /ra1 an isosceles triangle on the Euclidean plane. Proe that the angles at the
base o' the congruent sides are congruent.
b& /ra1 an isosceles triangle on the hyperbolic plane. ,easure the angles at the
base o' the congruent sides. Are the base angles congruent3
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
The proof for the 4uclidean plane can be achieved by proving that MAB% is
congruent to MA%B by ??? where the corresponding congruent sides are
, , AB AC AC AB BC BC . %orresponding angles are therefore congruent,
and B C .
#2
l1 l2
!1 = 3.59
!2 = 3.59
1
2
m1 = 15.5
m2 = 15.5
B
C
A
In the hyperbolic case, the Don4uclid program once again offers students an easy
way to construct lines of e$ual length. Ising this program will enable them to
discover that the base angles theorem is valid on the hyperbolic plane. Fe may
mention that ??? is also true in hyperbolic geometry and therefore a similar proof
is valid in hyperbolic geometry.
6:. a& /ra1 a triangle on the Euclidean plane 1ith t1o angles congruent. Proe that
the sides opposite the congruent angles are congruent.
b& /ra1 a triangle 1ith t1o angles congruent on the hyperbolic plane. ,easure
the sides opposite the congruent and report 1hether these sides are congruent.
5ote to the teacher. @1' minutesA
"n the plane the students should be able to prove that ABC ACB V V using A?A,
and therefore
AB AC
.
As in 4uclidean geometry, if two angles of a triangle on the hyperbolic plane are
congruent, then the sides opposite the angles are congruent.
##
B
C
A
6<. a& /ra1 an e)uilateral triangle on the Euclidean plane. Proe that the measure
o' each angle o' an e)uilateral triangle is >B
B
b& /ra1 an e)uilateral triangle on the hyperbolic plane. /etermine the measure
o' each angle o' the e)uilateral triangle. Ho1 do your obserations on the
hyperbolic plane compare 1ith those on the Euclidean plane3
#&
Distance = 3.12
Distance = 3.12
Distance = 3.12
1
2
3
m1 = 23.3
m2 = 23.3
m3 = 23.3
m2= 17.3
m1 = 17.3
Distance = 3.73
Distance = 3.73
1
2
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
?tudents should be able to construct an e$uilateral triangle using a compass and a
straight edge only, given a side of the triangle. 2et
AB
be the side of the triangle.
If we now construct two circles with the same radius as AB, one with center at A
and the other centered at B, these two circles will intersect in two points % and %N.
4ach of these two vertices with A and B will create e$uilateral triangles.
?tudents should use the same method to create e$uilateral triangles on the
oincar3 dis9. They will notice that their e$uilateral triangles don5t seem to have
congruent sides. "nce more, students should be reminded that distances seem to
be distorted on the oincar3 dis9 in our 4uclidean eyes.
#'
A
B
C'
C
?tudents will discover that e$uilateral triangles on the hyperbolic plane are also
e$uiangular. Inli9e 4uclidean e$uilateral triangles, however, each angle is not
e$ual to (,
o
, and is different from one triangle to another.
6=. a& 7hat is the 'ormula 'or calculating the area o' a triangle on the Euclidean
plane3
b& #nestigate 1hether this 'ormula is alid 'or calculating the area o' a triangle
on the hyperbolic plane.
#(
A
B
C
C'
A
B
C
"
#
5ote to the teacher: @1' minutesA
The formula for the area of a triangle on the 4uclidean plane is A O Pbh where b
is the base of the triangle and h is the height. Fhen we study a triangle on the
oincar3 dis9, a different value is obtained for each calculation of
1
0
2
bh for each
pair of base and height used. This formula can therefore not be used to calculate
the area of a triangle on the hyperbolic plane.
6>. #n a right triangle on the Euclidean plane, the s)uare on the hypotenuse is e)ual
to the sum o' the s)uares on the legs o' the triangle. /oes this Theorem o'
Pythagorean hold 'or triangles on the hyperbolic plane3
Construct a number o' right triangles on the hyperbolic plane. 8se the
hyperbolic measure segment option to measure the lengths o' the hypotenuse
and legs. 8se the calculate command under the measure command to discoer
1hether this theorem is alid on the hyperbolic plane.
#)
#1
#2
#3
#1 = 3.58
"1
"2 = 2.40
#2 = 4.05
"2
0.5 "2 #2 = 4.87
"3
"3 = 2.51
#3 = 3.94
"1 = 2.87
0.5 #1 "1 = 5.13
0.5 "3 #3 = 4.95
5ote to the teacher: @2, minutesA
The following figure presents a right triangle on the hyperbolic plane in the
oincar3 dis9. ?tudents will discover that the Theorem of ythagoras is not valid
on the hyperbolic plane.
5ote to the teacher:
In general, when we say that two triangles ABC V and L L L A B C V are congruent,
we mean that if the two triangles are drawn in two different locations, then we can
move one triangle so that it will coincide e!actly with the other. /or students, it is
sufficient that they understand that two triangles are congruent if all their
corresponding angles and corresponding sides are congruent. In 4uclidean
geometry we reali7e that having ??? guarantees that all angles are congruent as
well, and therefore the two triangles are congruent. The same is true for ?A? and
A?A. /or the following $uestions, what we would li9e to do is to create two
triangles in the hyperbolic plane based on any of the ???, ?A?, or A?A
conditions, and then chec9 to see if all other congruence relations e!ist @all
corresponding angles are congruent and all corresponding sides are congruentA.
D
#*
B
C
A
1
m1 = 90.0
a = 2.78
# = 2.12
c = 4.22
a
#
c
a
2
+b
2
=12.21
c
2
=17.83
6?. The !A! Congruence Postulate states that i' t1o sides and the included angle o'
one triangle are congruent respectiely to t1o sides and the included angle o'
another triangle, then the t1o triangles are congruent.
#nestigate 1hether this postulate can be accepted on the hyperbolic plane.
5ote to the teacher: @2, minutesA
?tudents will construct ABC V on the dis9. Then, using the tool measure, they will
construct
*E
congruent to
AB
in another location. They will then use the angle
measure tool to construct an angle on 14 with verte! 1 which is congruent to
angle A. Dow, on this new side of the angle, find a point / such that
AC *+
.
Fe notice that these two triangles have two sides and an angle between them
congruent @ , , A AC *+ A * AB *E . Dow what we need to do is to chec9
that all other corresponding components are congruent as well
@i.e. , , BC E+ C + B E A. ?tudents will find through measurement
that all other corresponding components are congruent.
#+
A
C
B D
F
E
6@. The !!! Congruence Theorem and the A!A Congruence Theorems are alid on
the Euclidean plane. 8se the 5onEuclid 1ebiste to discoer 1hether these
theorems are alid on the hyperbolic plane
5ote to the teacher: @2, minutesA
"nce again, students will construct ABC V on the dis9. Ising the tool measure,
construct , , *E AB *+ AC +E BC . Fhat we need to do now is determine
whether the corresponding angles are congruent. ?tudents should use the tool to
measure angles to confirm that the corresponding angles are congruent.
6A. *n the Euclidean plane, i' three angles o' one triangle are congruent to three
angles o' another triangle, then the corresponding sides o' the triangles are in
proportion and the t1o triangles are similar.
#' three angles o' one triangle on the hyperbolic plane are congruent to three
angles o' another, 1hat can 1e say about these t1o triangles3
&,
A
C
B D
F
E
5ote to the teacher: @2, minutesA
%onstruct ABC V on the hyperbolic plane. Ise the angle measure tool to measure
the si7e of each angle in the triangle. 1raw a segment 14 and at verte! 1
construct an angle that is congruent to A . At verte! 4 construct an angle that is
congruent to the angle at B. The student will discover the third angle of *E+ V is
only congruent to the third angle of ABC V when the two triangles are identical,
i.e. the two triangles are congruent. ?imilar triangles do not e!ist on the
hyperbolic plane unless the two triangles are congruentQ in which case they are
identical.
&1
A
C
B
D
E
F
A = 22.3
B = 53.5
D = 22.3
$ = 53.6
C = 34.3
% = 73.9