The Encyclopedia of Geometry (0016)


Problem

When two parallel lines intersect with a straight line, the corresponding angles or alternate angles are equal, and the interior angles (or the exterior angles) on the same side are complementary to each other.

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Solution

Let $AB∥CD$, and suppose that there is a straight line $EF$ that intersects $AB$ and $CD$ at $G$ and $H,$ respectively, and that $A$ and $C$ are on the same side of $EF$.

(1) If the alternate angles $∠AGH$ and $∠GHD$ are not equal, then we can create $∠HGK$, which is equal to $∠GHD$ and is an alternate angle on it.

Then, $KG$ and $CD$ have the alternate angles which are equal, so they become parallel to each other.

However, there are two straight lines $AB$ and $KG$ that pass through the point $G$ on $AB$ and are parallel to $CD$, which is unreasonable because it violates the axiom.

Therefore,

$$∠AGH=∠GHD.$$

(2) Also, if the corresponding angles $∠AGH$ and $∠CHF$ are not equal, we can create $∠KGH$ that is equal to $∠CHF$ and is a corresponding angle on it.

Then, there are two straight lines $AB$ and $KG$ that pass through the point $G$ on $AB$ and are parallel to $CD$, which is unreasonable because it violates the axiom.

Therefore,

$$∠AGH=∠CHF.$$

(3) If the interior angles on the same side $∠AGH$ and $∠CHG$ do not form complementary angles to each other, we can create $∠KGH$ that passes through the point $G$ on $AB$ and forms a complementary angle to $∠CHG$.

Then, there are two straight lines $AB$ and $KG$ that pass through the point $G$ on $AB$ and are parallel to $CD$, which is unreasonable because it violates the axiom.

Therefore, the interior angles on the same side $∠AGH$ and $∠CHG$ are complementary angles to each other:

$$∠AGH+∠CHG=2∠R.$$

(4) Similarly, the exterior angles on the same side $∠AGE$ and $∠CHF$ can also be said to form complementary angles as shown below:

$$∠AGE=2∠R-∠AGH,$$

$$∠CHF=2∠R-∠CHG,$$

$$\begin {eqnarray} & & ∴ \ ∠AGE+∠CHF\\ &=& 2∠R-∠AGH+2∠R-∠CHG\\ &=& 4∠R-(∠AGH+∠CHG)\\ &=& 4∠R-2∠R\\ &=& 2∠R.\end {eqnarray}$$

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Reference

Teiichiro Sasabe (1976) The Encyclopedia of Geometry (2nd edition), Seikyo-Shinsha, p.7