Components of

Mathematical System

Words and Statements

1. Undefined terms.
2. Definitions

3. Postulates

4. Theorems
Undefined Terms
In geometry, definitions are formed using
known words or terms to describe a new
word. There are three words in geometry
that are not formally defined. These three
undefined terms are point, line and plane.

PLP: Point, Line and Plane

 Basics of Geometry

Point

• Has no dimension: no length, width, or

thickness
• It only indicates place or position.
• Usually represented by a small dot
A

The above is called point A. Note the point

is represented with a capital letter.
 Line Basics of Geometry

• Has one dimension.

• An infinite set of points extending endlessly in two directions.
• Represented as a straight line with two arrowheads.
l This is line l, (using the
A
lower case script letter)
or symbolically we call it
B NOTICE: The arrowheads
are in both directions on
the symbol
 Basics of Geometry

Plane
• Extends in two dimensions.
• A flat surface extending indefinitely in all
directions
• Represented by a slanted 4 sided figure, but you
must envision it extends without end, even
though the representation has edges.
A This is Plane m or plane ABC (be
C m sure to only use three of the
B points when naming a plane)
Line

Plane
Why Undefined terms?

Circular Definitions
How do you define the first word without other words?
Have you ever looked up a word that was explained in
terms of another word that you did not know?

Have you looked up the new word to find that it was

defined in terms or the first word?

This can be a real problem.

In foreign languages this happens all the time.

This also happens in geometry.

 Geometric Example
Definition #1
A point is the intersection of two lines.

Definition #2
A line is a continuous series of points going
in opposite directions.
 What is wrong?

1 You need to know what a line is to define a point.

2 You need to know what a point is to define a line.

This is a never ending cycle.