- #1
For triangles, this is indeed equivalent. For polygons with more than three sides, the fact that sides are proportional is necessary for the polygons to be similar, but it is not sufficient.mathbalarka said:Two polygons in Euclidean geometry are called similar when, roughly speaking, one can be resized (zoomed in and zoomed out) to obtain another.
This is essentially equivalent to saying (are you familiar with the geometric proof of this) that if you have two polygons with sides labeled $AB, BC, CD, \cdots$ and $A'B', B'C', C'D', \cdots$ in the same order, then $$\frac{AB}{A'B'} = \frac{BC}{B'C'} = \frac{CD}{C'D'} = \cdots$$
Evgeny.Makarov said:For triangles, this is indeed equivalent. For polygons with more than three sides, the fact that sides are proportional is necessary for the polygons to be similar, but it is not sufficient.
Determining similarity between two plane figures involves comparing their corresponding angles and sides. If the corresponding angles are equal and the corresponding sides are in proportion, the figures are similar.
Determining similarity of plane figures is important in geometry and mathematics as it allows us to make accurate measurements and calculations. It also helps us identify patterns and relationships between different shapes and figures.
Some methods for determining similarity of plane figures include using ratios, proportions, and the side-angle-side (SAS) or angle-angle-angle (AAA) similarity theorems. Other methods involve using a compass and straightedge to construct and compare the figures.
Yes, two plane figures can be similar even if they have different sizes. As long as their corresponding angles and sides are in proportion, the figures are considered similar. This means that one figure can be a scaled version of the other.
Determining similarity of plane figures is related to congruence in that both involve comparing angles and sides of geometric shapes. However, congruence refers to figures that are exactly the same in shape and size, while similarity allows for differences in size.