Proving the Existence of Three Non-Collinear Points in an Affine Plane

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In summary, an affine plane is defined as A = (P, L, I). It can be proven using AP4 that there exist at least 2 distinct lines, l1 and l2. By AP3, each line is incident with at least 2 points, so take two points, one from each line, as part of a set of 3 points. Since l2 is a different line from l1, there must be at least one point on l2 that is not on l1. This point can be taken as the third point in the set, proving that there exist 3 distinct points in P that do not lie on a line.
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gbean
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Affine Plane--Geometry

Homework Statement


A = (P, L, I) is an affine plane. Prove that P (the set of all points) contains 3 distinct points that do not lie on a line.

Homework Equations


Can only use the following:
AP1: For any two distinct points P & Q, there exists one unique line incident (crosses through) with P and Q.
AP3: Each line is incident (crosses through) with at least 2 points.
AP4: There exist at least 2 lines.

The Attempt at a Solution



I'm having a lot of trouble writing rigorous proofs, so any help would be appreciated.

I used AP4 to say that there exist two lines, called l and m.
There are now two possible cases.
i) Either l is parallel/disjoint to m,
ii) or l intersects with m.

By AP3, each line l and m is incident (passes through) at least 2 points. l = L1L2, where L1 and L2 are points, and m = M1M2.

In case i), it isn't possible to draw a squiqqly sort of line that goes through any 3 points by AP1, which states that for any two distinct points, there is only 1 line that is incident with both points. So it is not possible to have 3 points on 1 line.

In case ii), define the intersection of l and m as a point n. Again, by AP1, for any 2 distinct points, there is only 1 line that is incident with both points. By this, there are 2 lines that contain 3 points.

I feel like I did not rigorously prove this, or that I am missing a few cases. Please help!
 
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  • #2


AP4 says that there exist at least 2 distinct lines, call them l1 and l2. Take, as part of your set of three points the two points that you know, by AP3, lie on l1. Since l2 is a different line from l1, there exist at least one point on l2 that is not on l1. Take that point as the third point in your set.
 
  • #3


HallsofIvy said:
AP4 says that there exist at least 2 distinct lines, call them l1 and l2. Take, as part of your set of three points the two points that you know, by AP3, lie on l1. Since l2 is a different line from l1, there exist at least one point on l2 that is not on l1. Take that point as the third point in your set.

Would that be the entirety of a rigorous proof? Thank you very much for your help, I'm still trying to get the hang of this.
 

1. What is an affine plane in geometry?

An affine plane is a type of mathematical space that is characterized by its flatness and its ability to preserve parallelism. It is a fundamental concept in geometry and is often used to study properties of shapes and figures.

2. How is the affine plane different from the Euclidean plane?

The main difference between the affine plane and the Euclidean plane is that the affine plane does not have a concept of distance or measurement. This means that while the Euclidean plane is a metric space, the affine plane is not. Additionally, the affine plane does not have a fixed origin or coordinate system, making it more abstract and general than the Euclidean plane.

3. What are the basic elements of an affine plane?

The basic elements of an affine plane are points and lines. Points are individual locations in the plane and lines are sets of points that are connected in a straight path. In an affine plane, points and lines are considered to be the only fundamental objects, with all other geometric concepts being defined in terms of these elements.

4. What is the role of transformations in affine plane geometry?

Transformations play a crucial role in affine plane geometry. They are used to describe how points, lines, and other geometric objects are related and can be transformed into one another. Common transformations in affine plane geometry include translations, rotations, and reflections.

5. How is affine plane geometry used in real-world applications?

Affine plane geometry has many practical applications in fields such as computer graphics, computer vision, and robotics. It is used to model and analyze the movement and positioning of objects in 3D space, as well as to create and manipulate 2D and 3D images. Affine transformations are also used in fields such as image registration and pattern recognition.

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