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[parent] Poincaré disc model (Definition)

The Poincaré disc model for $ \mathbb{H}^2$ is the disc $ \{(x,y) \in \mathbb{R}^2 : x^2+y^2<1 \}$ in which a point is similar to the Euclidean point and a line must be one of the following:


\begin{pspicture}(-2,-2)(2,2) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psarc{o-o}(-2,4.828){4.828}{270}{315} \end{pspicture}

The Poincaré disc model has the drawback that lines in the model do not necessarily resemble Euclidean lines; however, it has the advantage that it is angle preserving. That is, the Euclidean measure of an angle within the model is the angle measure in hyperbolic geometry. For this reason, this model is also referred to as the conformal disc model. (See the entry conformal for more details.)

Some points outside of the Poincaré disc model are important for constructions within the model. The following is an example of such:

Let $ \ell$ be a line in the Poincaré disc model that is not a diameter of the circle. The pole of $ \ell$ is the intersection of the Euclidean lines that are tangent to the circle at the endpoints of $ \ell$.


\begin{pspicture}(-3,-2)(3,5) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psline{<->}(-... ...rput[b](-2,-2){.} \rput[b](-2.7172,5){.} \rput[b](2.828,0.18){.} \end{pspicture}

Note that this matches the definition of pole for the Beltrami-Klein model. Also, poles are important for the same reason that they are important in the Beltrami-Klein model: Given a line $ \ell$ that is not a diameter of the Poincaré disc model, one constructs a line perpendicular to $ \ell$ by considering Euclidean lines passing through $ P(\ell)$. Thus, two disjointly parallel lines $ \ell$ and $ m$ that are not diameters of the Poincaré disc model, one constructs their common perpendicular by connecting their poles. It is actually much easier to do this construction by finding the poles of the two lines, finding the common perpendicular with respect to the Beltrami-Klein model, then converting the common perpendicular to the Poincaré disc model. See the entry on converting between the Beltrami-Klein model and the Poincaré disc model for more details.

In all pictures in this entry from this point on, blue segments are lines in the Beltrami-Klein model, and red arcs are lines in the Poincaré disc model.

Below is a picture of two disjointly parallel lines $ \ell$ and $ m$ in the Poincaré disc model, neither of which is a diamter of the unit circle:


\begin{pspicture}(-2,-2)(2,2) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psarc[linecol... ...[l](-2,0){.} \rput[a](0,2){.} \rput[r](2,0){.} \rput[b](0,-2){.} \end{pspicture}

Their poles can be found:


\begin{pspicture}(-3,-3)(3,5.1) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psline{<->}... ...rput[b](-2,-3){.} \rput[b](-2.7172,5){.} \rput[b](2.828,0.18){.} \end{pspicture}

The common perpendicular with respect to the Beltrami-Klein model can be found:


\begin{pspicture}(-3,-3)(3,5.1) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psline{<->}... ...845) \psline[linecolor=blue]{o-o}(-1.19,1.6055)(-0.1465,-1.9946) \end{pspicture}

From this, the common perpendicular $ n$ with respect to the Poincaré disc model can be found:


\begin{pspicture}(-6,-3)(3,5.1) \pscircle[linestyle=dashed](0,0){2} \psline{<->}... ...{o-o}(-5.265,-1.6187){5.1963}{-4.2}{38.35} \rput[b](0,-0.3){$n$} \end{pspicture}



"Poincaré disc model" is owned by Wkbj79.
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See Also: converting between the Beltrami-Klein model and the Poincaré disc model, converting between the Poincaré disc model and the upper half plane model

Other names:  conformal disc model

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Cross-references: segments, disjointly parallel lines, passing through, Beltrami-Klein model, pole, conformal, hyperbolic geometry, angle measure, angle, perpendicular, intersects, circle, arc, unit circle, endpoints, diameter, line, Euclidean, similar, point, disc
There are 7 references to this entry.

This is version 22 of Poincaré disc model, born on 2007-05-20, modified 2007-06-25.
Object id is 9416, canonical name is PoincareDiscModel.
Accessed 2156 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC51-00 (Geometry :: General reference works )
 51M10 (Geometry :: Real and complex geometry :: Hyperbolic and elliptic geometries and generalizations)

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Poincare is being a pain by Wkbj79 on 2007-05-20 23:52:41
PM is not letting me kill the link(s) to Poincar\'{e} that occur in this entry. I have tried using \PMlinkescapeword (which seems to get blatantly ignored), nesting \PMlinkescapetext in \emph, and vice versa, but whenever I try to kill the link that Poincar\'{e} causes, the entry will not render.
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