π In the Realm of Neutral Geometry: What Remains True?
Where Euclid's Fifth Axiom Falls Silent, What Can We Still Trust?
(a) Parallel lines exist.
True: Parallel lines — defined as lines that never intersect — still exist even when Euclid's parallel postulate is withheld.
Justification: Both Euclidean and hyperbolic models support the existence of at least one parallel to a given line through a point not on the line.
(b) If a line \( t \) is perpendicular to distinct lines \( \overleftrightarrow{AB} \) and \( \overleftrightarrow{CD} \), then \( \overleftrightarrow{AB} \parallel \overleftrightarrow{CD} \).
False: In neutral geometry, two lines can both be perpendicular to a third and yet not be parallel.
Justification: Hyperbolic geometry allows for such a case — ultraparallel lines defy Euclidean intuition and don’t intersect, but aren’t parallel in the classical sense.
(c) Given 3 distinct collinear points, exactly one is between the other two.
True: The order of collinear points is preserved, with one point lying precisely between the other two.
Justification: SMSG’s betweenness axioms remain intact in neutral geometry, guaranteeing consistent point ordering.
(d) If \( m(\angle BAC) = m(\angle BAD) = m(\angle DAC) \), then \( D \in \text{int}(\angle BAC) \).
False: Equal angle measures do not confirm that point \( D \) lies strictly within the interior of angle \( \angle BAC \).
Justification: Point \( D \) might rest on one of the rays forming the angle — on the boundary, not the interior. Neutral geometry allows this ambiguity.
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