Aaron Pavao

Geometry
Midterm Exam

Problem 2.
a. Let l be a line and a P be a point not on that line. Let n and m be unique lines through P that
are asymptotic to l. Let z be a line that passes through P and intersects l at point Z. Let D be a point
really really close to the theoretical intersection of l and m. When z is closest to n, angle PZD is the
smallest it can be, as close to zero as it can be and less than 90 degrees. When z is closest to m, the
angle PZD is the largest it can be, as close to 180 degrees as it can be and greater than 90 degrees. As Z
travels from its position closest to n to its position closest to m, the measure of the angle PZD increases
from its smallest value to its largest value, and so the measure of angle PZD is at some point 90
degrees, by the Intermediate Value Theorem; that line is perpendicular by the definition of
perpendicular-osity. Since the perpendicular line goes through P, and there exists only one line through
P in any given direction, the perpendicular line is unique.
b. Let l be a line, P be a point not on that line, and E be a point at the intersection of l and a line
through P perpendicular to l. Given a point Z on l a positive distance from E and point Z' the same
distance in the opposite direction, we find that triangle PEZ is congruent to PEZ' by SAS because
segment PE is reflexively congruent, angle PEZ is congruent to PEZ' because segment PE is
perpendicular to segments EZ and EZ', and we defined EZ as being congruent to EZ'. Since the actual
measure of segment EZ (and therefore EZ') is arbitrary, this is true for all triangles PEZ and PEZ', and
so every point on l in the Z direction reflects uniquely to a point on l in the Z' direction by CPCTC.

Problem 4.
a. Let α, β, and γ be the vertex angles of a triangle on the open hemisphere of a unit sphere. We
want to find the are of that triangle with respect to α, β, and γ . The area of the sphere is 4π. The great
circles that correspond to the sides of the triangle divide the sphere into two congruent antipodal
triangles and three lunes, one cotrresponding to each angle and having an angle measure equal to the
supplement of its adjacent angle. The area of one lune of angle theta is


4 ⋅ =2
2

The sum of the areas of the three lunes is

2−2−2− 

Removing this area from consideration leaves only the two congruent triangles. Since the
triangles are congruent, the area of one triangle is half of the remaining area, or

4 −[2 −2−2− ]

=2 −3 =−
2
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b. Let  i be the vertex angles of a convex polygon of n sides on an open hemisphere of the
unit sphere, where 1≤i≤n. While we're at it, let's let A i be the vertex that corresponds to  i on
said polygon. By drawing segments between A 1 and each of A2 through An-1 we divide the polygon
into (n-2) triangles. Since the sum of the fractions of each divided angle equals the whole angle, the
sum of the areas of these triangles is

 12⋯ n−1n−n−2
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