 Term: Postulates

Definition: A postulate is a statement that is assumed true without proof.

Example:

 Postulate 1: A line contains at least two points.

 Postulate 2: A plane contains at least three noncollinear points.
 Postulate 3: Through any two points, there is exactly one line.
 Postulate 4: Through any three noncollinear points, there is exactly one plane.
 Postulate 5: If two points lie in a plane, then the line joining them lies in that plane.
 Postulate 6: If two planes intersect, then their intersection is a line.

Illustration:
  Term: Theorems

Definition: A theorem is a true statement that can be proven.

Example:

 Theorem 1: If two lines intersect, then they intersect in exactly one point.
 Theorem 2: If a point lies outside a line, then exactly one plane contains both the line
and the point.
 Theorem 3: If two lines intersect, then exactly one plane contains both lines.

Illustration:
  Term: Congruent Triangles

Definition: Two triangles are congruent if and only if their vertices can be paired so that the
corresponding sides are congruent and the corresponding angles are congruent.

Example:

 Reflexive Property:
∠A  ∠A, AB  AB
 Symmetric Property:
If ∠A  ∠B, then ∠B  ∠A
If AB  BC, then BC  AB
 Transitive Property:
If ∠A  ∠B and ∠B  ∠C, then ∠A  ∠C
If AB  BC and BC  CD, then AB  CD

Illustration:

ΔDOG  ΔCAT

Vertices Angles Sides

DC ∠D  ∠C (∠D  ∠C ) DO  CA (DO  CA)

OA ∠O  ∠A (∠O  ∠A ) OG  AT (OG  AT)
GT ∠G  ∠T (∠G  ∠T ) GD  TC (GD  TC)
  Term: Similar Triangles

Definition: Two triangles are said to be similar if they have the same shape. Although one
triangle can be larger than another, they're considered similar triangles as long as they have the
same shape.

Example:

1) Corresponding angles are congruent (same measure)

2) Corresponding sides are all in the same proportion
 Rotation
- One triangle can be rotated, but as long as they are the same shape, the triangles
are still similar. In the figure below, the triangle PQR is similar to P'Q'R' even though
the latter is rotated clockwise 90°.
 Reflection
- One triangle can be a mirror image of the other, but as long as they are the same
shape, the triangles are still similar. It can be reflected in any direction, up down,
left, right. In the figure below, triangle PQR is a mirror image of P'Q'R', but is still
considered similar to it.

Illustration:
  Term: Angle-Angle (AA) Similarity Postulate

Definition: If two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of another, then the
triangles must be similar.

Illustration:

 Term: Side-Angle-Side (SAS) Similarity Theorem

Definition: If an angle of one triangle is congruent to an angle of a second triangle and the
lengths of the sides including these angles are proportional, then the triangles must be similar.

Illustration:
  Term: Side-Side-Side (SSS) Similarity Theorem

Definition: If the lengths of the corresponding sides of two triangles are proportional, then the
triangles must be similar.

Illustration:

 Term: Third Angles Theorem

Definition: If two angles of one triangle are congruent to two angles of another, then the third
angles are congruent.

Illustration:

If ∠A  ∠P and ∠Q  ∠B, then ∠C  ∠R

 Term: Side-Angle-Side Congruence Postulate SAS

Definition: If two sides and the included angles of one triangle are congruent to the
corresponding sides and the included angle of another triangle, then the two triangles are
congruent.

Illustration:

Given: DO  CA
∠DOG  ∠CAT
OG  AT
Prove: ΔDOG  ΔCAT
 Statements Reasons
1. DO  CA 1. Given
2. ∠DOG  ∠CAT 2. Given
3. OG  AT 3. Given
4. ΔDOG  ΔCAT 4. SAS Congruence

 Term: Side-Side-Side Congruence Postulate SSS

Definition: If three sides of one triangle are congruent to three corresponding sides of another
triangle, then the two triangles are congruent.

Illustration:

Given: TO  CA, OY  AR, TY  CR

Prove: ΔTOY  ΔCAR

Statements Reasons
1. TO  CA 1. Given
2. OY  AR 2. Given
3. TY  CR 3. Given
4. ΔTOY  ΔCAR 4. SSS Congruence

 Term: Angle-Side-Angle Congruence Postulate ASA

Definition: If two angles and the included side of one triangle are congruent to two angles and
the included side of another triangle, then the two triangles are congruent.

Illustration:

Given: ∠1  ∠2
∠3  ∠4
Prove: ΔABD  ΔCDB

Statements Reasons
1. ∠1  ∠2 1. Given
2. BD  BD 2. Reflexive Property
3. ∠3  ∠4 3. Given
4. ΔABD  ΔCDB 4. ASA Congruence
  Term: Triangle Proportionality Theorem

Definition: If a line parallel to one side of a triangle intersects the other two sides of the
triangle, then the line divides these two sides proportionally.

Illustration:
𝐴𝐷 𝐴𝐸
If DE  BC, then 𝐷𝐵 = 𝐸𝐶 .

 Term: Converse of Triangle Proportionality Theorem

Definition: If a line divides two sides of a triangle proportionally, then it is parallel to the third
side.

Illustration:
𝐴𝐸 𝐴𝐹
= 𝐹𝐶 line EF  segment BC
𝐸𝐵

 Term: Triangle Angle Bisector Theorem

Definition: An angle bisector of a triangle divides the opposite side into two segments whose
lengths are proportional to the lengths of the other two sides.

Illustration:
  Term: Angle-Angle-Side Congruence Theorem

Definition: If under some correspondence, two angles and a side opposite one of the angles of
one triangle are congruent, respectively, to the corresponding two angles and side of a second
triangle, then the triangles are congruent.

Illustration:

 Term: Hypotenuse-Leg Congruence Theorem

Definition: If the hypotenuse and one leg of a right triangle are congruent to the hypotenuse
and one leg of another right triangle, then the triangles are congruent.

Illustration:
  Term: Converse of Isosceles Triangle

Definition: If two angles of a triangle are congruent, then the sides opposite those angles are
congruent.

Illustration:

Given: ΔABC
If: ∠B  ∠C Every equiangular triangle is equilateral.
Then: AC  AB

 Term: Pythagorean Theorem

Definition: The well-known geometric theorem that the sum of the squares on the legs of a
right triangle is equal to the square on the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle)—or,
in familiar algebraic notation, a2 + b2 = c2.

Illustration: