saccheri quadrilaterals in hyperbolic geometry

the summit angle and area theorem
Suppose that the hyperbolic saccheri quadrilateral S has base of length c,
summit of length a and sides of length d. Then the summit angle α and the
hyperbolic area S are determined by the formulae :
(1) cos(α) = sinh(d)sinh(½c)/cosh(½a)
(2) sin(α) = cosh(½c)/cosh(½a),
(3) tan(½S) = sinh(d)tanh(½c)
proof
The sketch shows the quadrilateral labelled so that the base is CD and
the summit is AB. The summit angle is α. We have drawn the diagonal
BC of hyperbolic length x.

(a) cosh(x) = cosh(d)cosh(c).
(b) sinh(½a) = cosh(d)sinh(½c).
(c) cosh(t) = 2sinh2(½t)+1,
(d) cosh2(t)-sinh2(t) = 1,
(e) sinh(t) = 2 sinh(½t)cosh(½t).

Pythagoras, ΔBCD.
saccheri theorem
hyperbolic identities

From ΔABC, cos(α) = (cosh(a)cosh(d)-cosh(x))/sinh(a)sinh(d)
Using (a), cos(α) = cosh(d)(cosh(a)-cosh(c))/sinh(a)sinh(d)
Using (c) for cosh(a) and cosh(c), we get
cos(α) = cosh(d)(sinh2(½a))-sinh2(½c))/sinh(a)sinh(d)
Using (b) and (d), we get
cos(α) = cosh(d)sinh(d)sinh2(½a)/sinh(a)
Using (b) and (e), we get
cos(α) = sinh(d)sinh(½c)/cosh(½a)

cosine rule
We use the standard result sin2(α) = 1-cos2(α).
sin2(α) = 1 - sinh2(d)sinh2(½c)/cosh2(½a)
= (cosh2(½a) - sinh2(d)sinh2(½c))/cosh2(½a)
= (1+sinh2(½a) - sinh2(d)sinh2(½c))/cosh2(½a)
= (1+ cosh2(d)sinh2(½c) - sinh2(d)sinh2(½c))/cosh2(½a)
= (1+sinh2(½c))/cosh2(½a)
= (cosh2(½c))/cosh2(½a)
Now cos(α) > 0, so α is acute, and so sin(α) > 0. Thus,
sin(α) = cosh(½c)/cosh(½a).

For the last part, the extension of the gauss-bonnet formula to
quadrilaterals shows that S = 2π - (sum of angles of ABDC), so
S = π-2α, and hence ½S = ½π-α.
It follows that tan(½S) = cot(α). Thus (3) follows from (1) and (2).
This determines S since ½S is in (0,½π).

previous page