Transversal (geometry)

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In geometry, a transversal is a line that passes through two lines in the same plane at two distinct points.
Transversals play a role in establishing whether two other lines in the Euclidean plane are parallel. The
intersections of a transversal with two lines create various types of pairs of angles: consecutive interior angles,
corresponding angles, and alternate angles. By Euclid's parallel postulate, if the two lines are parallel,
consecutive interior angles are supplementary, corresponding angles are equal, and alternate angles are equal.

Eight angles of a transversal.

(Vertical angles such as and
are always congruent.)
Transversal between non-parallel lines.
Transversal between parallel lines.
Consecutive angles are not
Consecutive angles are supplementary.
supplementary.

Contents
1 Angles of a transversal
1.1 Corresponding angles
1.2 Alternate angles
1.3 Consecutive interior angles
2 Other characteristics of transversals
3 Related theorems
4 References

Angles of a transversal
A transversal produces 8 angles, as shown in the graph at the above left:

4 with each of the two lines, namely , , and and then 1, 1, 1 and 1; and
4 of which are interior (between the two lines), namely , , 1 and 1 and 4 of which are exterior,
namely 1, 1, and .

A transversal that cuts two parallel lines at right angles is called a perpendicular transversal. In this case, all 8
angles are right angles [1]

When the lines are parallel, a case that is often considered, a transversal produces several congruent and several
supplementary angles. Some of these angle pairs have specific names and are discussed
below:[2][3]corresponding angles, alternate angles, and consecutive angles.

Corresponding angles
Corresponding angles are the four pairs of angles that:

have distinct vertex points,

lie on the same side of the transversal and
one angle is interior and the other is exterior.

Two lines are parallel if and only if the two angles of any pair of
corresponding angles of any transversal are congruent (equal in
measure).

Note: This follows directly from Euclid's parallel postulate.

Further, if the angles of one pair are congruent, then the angles of
each of the other pairs are also congruent. In our images with
parallel lines, corresponding angle pairs are: =1, =1, =1 and
=1. One pair of corresponding angles. With
parallel lines, they are congruent.
Alternate angles

Alternate angles are the four pairs of angles that:

have distinct vertex points,

lie on opposite sides of the transversal and
both angles are interior or both angles are exterior.

If the two angles of one pair are congruent (equal in measure), then
the angles of each of the other pairs are also congruent.

Proposition 1.27 of Euclid's elements, a theorem of absolute

geometry (hence valid in both hyperbolic and Euclidean
Geometry), proves that if the angles of a pair of alternate angles of
a transversal are congruent then the two lines are parallel (non-
intersecting) .
One pair of alternate angles. With parallel
lines, they are congruent.
It follows from Euclid's parallel postulate that if the two lines are
parallel, then the angles of a pair of alternate angles of a transversal
are congruent (Proposition 1.29 of Euclid's elements).

Consecutive interior angles

Consecutive interior angles are the two pairs of angles that:[4][2]

have distinct vertex points,

lie on the same side of the transversal and
are both interior.

Two lines are parallel if and only if the two angles of any pair of
consecutive interior angles of any transversal are supplementary
(sum to 180).

By the definition of a straight line and the properties of vertical

angles, if one pair is supplementary, the other pair is also
supplementary.
One pair of consecutive angles. With parallel
Other characteristics of transversals lines, they add up to tworight angles
If three lines in general position form a triangle are then cut by a transversal, the lengths of the six resulting
segments satisfy Menelaus' theorem.

Related theorems
Euclid's formulation of the parallel postulate may be stated in terms of a transversal. Specifically, if the interior
angles on the same side of the transversal are less than two right angles then lines must intersect. In fact, Euclid
uses the same phrase in Greek that is usually translated as "transversal".[5]

Euclid's Proposition 27 states that if a transversal intersects two lines so that alternate interior angles are
congruent, then the lines are parallel. Euclid proves this by contradiction: If the lines are not parallel then they
must intersect and a triangle is formed. Then one of the alternate angles is an exterior angle equal to the other
angle which is an opposite interior angle in the triangle. This contradicts Proposition 16 which states that an
exterior angle of a triangle is always greater than the opposite interior angles.[6][7]

Euclid's Proposition 28 extends this result in two ways. First, if a transversal intersects two lines so that
corresponding angles are congruent, then the lines are parallel. Second, if a transversal intersects two lines so
that interior angles on the same side of the transversal are supplementary, then the lines are parallel. These
follow from the previous proposition by applying the fact that opposite angles of intersecting lines are equal
(Prop. 15) and that adjacent angles on a line are supplementary (Prop. 13). As noted by Proclus, Euclid gives
only three of a possible six such criteria for parallel lines.[8][9]

Euclid's Proposition 29 is a converse to the previous two. First, if a transversal intersects two parallel lines, then
the alternate interior angles are congruent. If not, then one is greater than the other, which implies its
supplement is less than the supplement of the other angle. This implies that there are interior angles on the
same side of the transversal which are less than two right angles, contradicting the fifth postulate. The
proposition continues by stating that on a transversal of two parallel lines, corresponding angles are congruent
and the interior angles on the same side are equal to two right angles. These statements follow in the same way
that Prop. 28 follows from Prop. 27.[10][11]

Euclid's proof makes essential use of the fifth postulate, however, modern treatments of geometry use Playfair's
axiom instead. To prove proposition 29 assuming Playfair's axiom, let a transversal cross two parallel lines and
suppose that the alternate interior angles are not equal. Draw a third line through the point where the transversal
crosses the first line, but with an angle equal to the angle the transversal makes with the second line. This
produces two different lines through a point, both parallel to another line, contradicting the axiom.[12][13]

References

1. "Transversal" (http://www.mathopenref.com/transversal.html). Math Open Reference. 2009. (interactive)

2. Rod Pierce (2011). "Parallel Lines" (http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/parallel-lines.html).
MathisFun. (interactive)
3. Holgate Art. 87
4. C.Clapham, J.Nicholson (2009). "Oxford Concise Dictionary of Mathematics" (http://web.cortland.edu/m
atresearch/OxfordDictionaryMathematics.pdf) (PDF). Addison-Wesley. p. 582.
5. Heath p. 308 note 1
6. Heath p. 307
7. See also Holgate Art. 88
8. Heath p. 309-310
9. See also Holgate Art. 89-90
10. Heath p. 311-312
11. See also Holgate Art. 93-95
12. Heath p. 313
13. A similar proof is given in Holgate Art. 93
 Holgate, Thomas Franklin (1901). Elementary Geometry. Macmillan.
Thomas Little Heath, T.L. (1908). The thirteen books of Euclid's Elements. 1. The University Press.
pp. 307 ff.

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This page was last edited on 13 August 2017, at 14:22.

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