Euclid's postulate
- noun
- /ˈjuːklɪdz ˈpɒstjʊlɪt/
- Specialized
:
postulado de Euclides
- One of Euclid's postulates states that through any two points, there is exactly one straight line.
Examples
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The fifth Euclid's postulate is also known as the parallel postulate.
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Modern mathematicians have explored geometries that do not require Euclid's postulate.
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According to Euclid's postulate, through any point not on a given line, there is exactly one parallel to the line.
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Did you learn about Euclid's postulate in your math class?
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According to Euclid's postulate, through any point not on a given line, there is exactly one parallel to the line.
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Modern mathematicians have explored geometries that do not require Euclid's postulate.
-
The fifth Euclid's postulate is also known as the parallel postulate.
Synonyms
4
8.1
An idea accepted as true without proof and used to build a theory
1
8.6
One of five basic statements that give the rules of geometry on flat surfaces
A basic rule of geometry on a flat surface used to build proofs
Surface Forms
Morphology
Euclid's + postulate
This is a straightforward possessive construction: 'Euclid's' (the mathematician's name) + 'postulate' (a basic proposition), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it means 'a basic proposition (axiom) attributed to Euclid.' The possessive + noun composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts even if the learner lacks detailed historical knowledge about Euclid.
Etymology
Euclid's postulate comes from Euclid, an ancient Greek mathematician who wrote a book called 'Elements' and listed short statements he treated as true without proof. These 'postulates' became the basic rules for his geometry, so the phrase means 'a basic rule' used as a starting point in geometry.