In the first page, we said that any statement which can be proved from the common axioms was provable in neutral geometry.
We then remarked that only euclidean and hyperbolic geometries actually
This raises a point in Mathematical Logic. If a result holds in every system
Obviously a result which is provable from a set of axioms is valid in any
I believe that the situation here is simpler. Suppose that we can prove
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We know that, in neutral
geometry, if for some point P, not on a line L, there are two lines through P not meeting L then there are two lines for any choice of P and L. We are then in a case where the Alternative Parallel Axiom holds. All the axioms of hyperbolic geometry now hold and we can use our hyperbolic proof. If there is no such point, then the Parallel Axiom holds, and we can use our euclidean proof. Since such a pair P,L either exists or it doesn't, we have a classic "proof by cases". |
I am not sure that I would want to put much money on the argument being logically sound |
We can now say that a result is a theorem of neutral geometry if either
As an example of type (2), we have the medians theorem, which is true
We do not propose to develop the theory of neutral geometry in general
We do give some theorems which are relevant to our study of hyperbolic
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