GEOMETRY ADVANCED CLASS

LESSON_2: Undefined Terms

An organized Logical Development of Geometry

In our lesson in geometry, we shall carry out the following program: We shall state definitions for geometric ideas as
clearly and exactly as we can, and we shall establish the facts of geometry by giving logical proofs. The statements that we
prove will be called theorems. Our simplest and the most fundamental statements will be given without proof. These will
be called postulates. We shall use the simplest and most fundamental terms without making any attempt to define them.
These will be called the undefined terms.
When we prove a theorem, we show that it follows logically from theorems that we have already proved. For the
first theorem, this will not work because there are not any theorems that we have proved. But we must start somewhere.
This means that we must accept some statements without proof. These unproved statements are the postulates.
The same principle applies to definitions. Most of the time, when we introduced a new term, we define it, using
terms that have already been defined. The first definition that we give cannot work this way, because in this case there are
not any terms that have already been defined. This means that we must introduce some geometric terms without defining
them. Therefore, we shall use the simplest and most fundamental terms without trying to give definition for them. These
fundamental undefined terms will be point, line, and plane.

What are the undefined terms in Geometry?

Point, line, and plane are the three undefined terms in Geometry. They are the simplest and the most
fundamental terms. These three, form the basis of our study of the subject although we do not have a clear-cut definition
of these three terms. They can only be described through examples. However, they can be used to define other terms in
geometry.

You can use the map of Manila to represent the undefined terms. If you live in Binondo, you can represent yourself as a point
in Binondo and your school in Padre Faura as another point. The road you took from Binondo to Padre Faura will form a line. The map
as a whole will represent the plane.

POINT
∙ A or point A
 A point denotes a position in space and has no dimension.
 It does not occupy an area.
 It does not have any width, length, or depth.
 When represented by a dot it is named by a capital letter.
 All geometric figures are consisting of points.
Although stars are large, but because they are so far from us, they appear small to us so,
we may think of them as point.

Name something in your surroundings that is a physical representation of a point.

Just the tip

Tip of a pencil or corner of a hoop
Tip of your finger board tip of your nose drop of water

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 LINE
A line is a series of points that extends in opposite directions without end.

It does not have any width.

It is named by any two of its points or by a single small letter near one of the arrow heads.

⃡𝐴𝐵 or ⃡𝐵𝐴 (read as line AB or line BA)
⃡ the double headed arrow above the letters is a symbol for line. The
In 𝐴𝐵
small letter near one of the arrowheads is not a point nor part of a line, you
just use it to name that line.
Describe some physical representations of lines in the real world.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

under CC BY-SA-NC

Railroad track Edge of a ruler cable wire

Body of pencil

PLANE
 A plane is a flat surface.
 It extends indefinitely in all directions.
 It has no thickness and contains an infinite number
of points and lines.
 A plane is named by 3 or more capital letters represented by the point on it or by any
small letter to represent the plane.
• You can name the given figure as plane m, (m is not a point on the plane, but a letter used to name the plane) or
plane ABC, or plane ABD, etc.

• Name some physical representation of a plane in your home.

Table biko
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC
field
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
BY-SA

Example:

If you look at the corner of a book, that represents a point. Edge of the book represents a line and the pages of a book
represents a plane.

• Points that lie on the same line are collinear.

Collinear points noncollinear points

Points A, B, C, D, and E on the left Points A, B, C, D, and E on the

above are collinear right above are noncollinear points

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 • Points and lines in the same plane are coplanar.

⃡𝐶𝐷 and ⃡𝐸𝐹 are coplanar ⃡𝐴𝐵 is not coplanar

because they lie on the ⃡ because
with 𝐶𝐷
same plane. they lie on different
plane
Point G and ⃡𝐴𝐵
are coplanar.

Example:
In the given figure on right:
a.) Which three points are collinear?
b.) Are points A, B, and C collinear?
c.) Are points A, B, C, and D coplanar?
Answer:
a.) Points D, E, and C are collinear because they lie on the same line.
b.) No. They do not lie on the same line, rather they are coplanar.
c.) No. Although points A, B, C lie on the same plane ABC, but only D does not, then they
are not coplanar.

Example: Undefined Terms

Answer the following:
⃡ ?
1.) Why do you think arrowheads are used when drawing a line or naming a line such as 𝐴𝐵
2.) Use the diagram to answer the following
a.) Name the planes suggested by the surfaces of the figure.
b.) Name the points represented by each corner
c.) Name the lines represented by the edges of the figure.
Answer:

1.) To show that lines are infinitely long.

2.) a.) Planes ABC, CDG, EFH, ABH, ACF, and BDG
b.) Points A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H
c.) ⃡𝐴𝐵 , 𝐵
⃡𝐷, ⃡𝐶𝐷, ⃡𝐴𝐶 , ⃡𝐴𝐸 , ⃡𝐶𝐹, ⃡𝐷𝐺 , ⃡𝐵𝐻 , ⃡𝐸𝐻 , ⃡𝐺𝐻 , ⃡𝐹𝐺 , ⃡𝐸𝐹

Properties of a Good Definition

• A good definition can help you identify or classify an object.
• A good definition uses clearly understood terms. The terms should be commonly understood or previously defined.
• A good definition should classify the term being defined with a minimum number of restrictions. It should not be a
listing of all the special properties of the term.
• A good definition is precise. It avoids words such as large, sort of, and some.
• A good definition states what the term is, rather than what it is not.
• A good definition is reversible.

Example: (Good Definition)

Which of the following is an example of a good definition?
 A square is a four-sided figure in which all sides are equal.
– This is not restrictive enough. It does not contain sufficient information to distinguish square from a rhombus.
 A square is a quadrilateral in which all sides and angles are equal, and the diagonals are both equal and
perpendicular.
– This contains too many restrictions. It lists all properties over and above the essential ones.
 A triangle is right if it has one right angle.
- This is a good definition because it is reversible.
- Reversed form of the definition: If a triangle has one right angle, then it is right.
 A polygon is a closed plane figure with at least three sides.
 A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides.
 A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides.
 Rectangle is a parallelogram with a right angle.

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- The last four examples are examples of a good definitions. Before we come up with the definition of a rectangle, we
define first what a parallelogram is. Before a parallelogram, a quadrilateral, and before a quadrilateral a polygon. We
cannot define a rectangle as: “A rectangle is a four-sided polygon.” because rectangle is not the only polygon with four
sides. We cannot define the rectangle as stated if we did not define first a parallelogram, a quadrilateral, and a polygon.

Unlike the definition, postulates are not reversible. You accept it as it is.
Example: Suppose you accept as a postulate the statement: Any acute angle can be bisected. Which of these conclusions
can be deduced?
1.) Any acute angle can be divided into two angles of equal measures.
2.) Any acute angle can be divided into three angles of equal measures.
3.) Any acute angle can be divided into four angles of equal measures.
4.) The supplement of any acute angle can be bisected.
5.) The complement of any acute angle can be bisected.
6.) An angle which is not acute cannot be bisected.
Answer:
Statements 1, 3, and 5.

What is the difference between postulates and theorems?

Answer: Postulates are statements that can be accepted as true even without proofs, while a theorem is not accepted as
true without proofs.

What are the ways to prove a theorem?

In proving a theorem, direct or indirect way may be used. We can also use auxiliary set to aid our proof if the
given figure is not enough to prove the statement.
Before we accept the validity of theorems, we need to prove them using all or any of the following: given information,
properties of algebra (equality or inequality), construction, undefined terms, definitions, postulates, and previously proved
theorems (we cannot use theorems that we have not yet proven in our lesson). The format of proofs may be in paragraph
form or a two-column proof.