betweenness in rays


Let S be a linear ordered geometry. Fix a point p and consider the pencil Π(p) of all rays emanating from it. Let αβΠ(p). A point q is said to be an interior pointPlanetmathPlanetmath of α and β if there are points sα and tβ such that

  1. 1.

    q and s are on the same side of line pt, and

  2. 2.

    q and t are on the same side of line ps.

A point q is said to be between α and β if there are points sα and tβ such that q is between s and t. A point that is between two rays is an interior point of these rays, but not vice versa in general. A ray ρΠ(p) is said to be between rays α and β if there is an interior point of α and β lying on ρ.

Properties

  1. 1.

    Suppose α,β,ρΠ(p) and ρ is between α and β. Then

    1. (a)

      any point on ρ is an interior point of α and β;

    2. (b)

      any point on the line containing ρ that is an interior point of α and β must be a point on ρ;

    3. (c)

      there is a point q on ρ that is between α and β. This is known as the Crossbar Theorem, the two “crossbars” being ρ and a line segmentMathworldPlanetmath joining a point on α and a point on β;

    4. (d)

      if q is defined as above, then any point between p and q is between α and β.

  2. 2.

    There are no rays between two opposite rays.

  3. 3.

    If ρ is between α and β, then β is not between α and ρ.

  4. 4.

    If α,βΠ(p) has a ray ρ between them, then α and β must lie on the same half plane of some line.

  5. 5.

    The converseMathworldPlanetmath of the above statement is true too: if α,βΠ(p) are distinct rays that are not opposite of one another, then there exist a ray ρΠ(p) such that ρ is between α and β.

  6. 6.

    Given α,βΠ(p) with αβ and α-β. We can write Π(p) as a disjoint unionMathworldPlanetmath of two subsets:

    1. (a)

      A={ρΠ(p)ρ is between α and β},

    2. (b)

      B=Π(p)-A.

    Let ρ,σΠ(p) be two rays distinct from both α and β. Suppose xρ and yσ. Then ρ,σ belong to the same subset if and only if xy¯ does not intersect either α or β.

References

  • 1 D. Hilbert, Foundations of Geometry, Open Court Publishing Co. (1971)
  • 2 K. Borsuk and W. Szmielew, Foundations of Geometry, North-Holland Publishing Co. Amsterdam (1960)
  • 3 M. J. Greenberg, EuclideanPlanetmathPlanetmath and Non-Euclidean Geometries, DevelopmentMathworldPlanetmath and History, W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco (1974)
Title betweenness in rays
Canonical name BetweennessInRays
Date of creation 2013-03-22 15:33:05
Last modified on 2013-03-22 15:33:05
Owner CWoo (3771)
Last modified by CWoo (3771)
Numerical id 6
Author CWoo (3771)
Entry type Definition
Classification msc 51F20
Classification msc 51G05
Related topic Angle
Related topic Ray
Related topic Midpoint4
Defines interior point
Defines between rays
Defines between two rays
Defines crossbar theorem