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Math Forum » Discussions » Math Topics » geometry.pre-college.independent

Topic: Euclids postulates and non-Euclidean geometry
Replies: 7   Last Post: Aug 23, 2007 5:04 PM

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mathwonk

Posts: 4
From: georgia
Registered: 5/21/07
Re: Euclids postulates and non-Euclidean geometry
Posted: May 21, 2007 7:29 PM
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I am a rookie in these matters, but i always heard the Greeks had a reluctance to consider thigns that could not be chwecked in finite distnace or time. So the question of whether two lines ever meet is one that cannot be determiend without gpoing all thge way out on them, an impossible task in finite lifetime.


for example the 5th postulate is false in any finite attempted model of euclids geometry, i.e. a table top, no matter how big the table is, as long as it's finite.

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