LEGENDRE’S DEFECT ZERO THEOREM

MATH 410. SPRING 2008. INSTRUCTOR: PROFESSOR AITKEN

The goal of this handout is to prove Legendre’s famous Defect Zero Theorem of Neu-
tral Geometry: if there is one defect zero triangle, then all triangles have defect zero. In
this handout, assume all the axioms, definitions, and previously proved results in Neutral
Geometry.

1. Useful Lemmas
We begin with some lemmas that will help in the proof.
Recall that given a line l and a point P not on l, there is a unique line m containing P
and perpendicular to l. We sometimes say that we “drop” the perpendicular m from P to l.
(This is a metaphor from daily life. Think of l as the ground, and P as a point above l).
The intersection of l and m is called the “foot”.
Lemma 1. Let 4ABC be a triangle with acute angles ∠A and ∠C. Drop a perpendicular
←→
from B to the base line AC, and let F be the foot. Then A ∗ F ∗ C.
Proof. Observe that F 6= A since ∠BAC is not a right angle. Likewise F 6= C. So by Axiom
B-3, one of A, F, C is between the other two.
If F ∗ A ∗ C then ∠BAC is external to ∠BF A, so ∠BAC > ∠BF A which contradicts the
assumption that ∠A is acute.
Likewise, A ∗ C ∗ F gives a contradiction. Thus A ∗ F ∗ C. 
Lemma 2. Every triangle has at least two acute angles.
Proof. Let 4ABC have a non-acute angle ∠C. We must show that all the other angles are
acute. Let D be such that B ∗ C ∗ D. So ∠ACD is right or acute since it is supplementary
to ∠C of the triangle. By the Exterior Angle Theorem, ∠ACD is greater than ∠A and ∠B.
Thus these angles are acute. 
Remark. These lemmas are actually valid in IBC Geometry.

2. A Chain of Implications
In this section, we will give a series of implications. Together these will prove Lagrange’s
Zero Defect Theorem.
We can always split up a triangle into two right triangles. If the big triangle has defect
zero, then the smaller ones must as well. This is the main idea of the following.
Proposition 1. If there exists a triangle with defect zero, then there exists a right triangle
with defect zero.

Date: Spring 2006 to Spring 2008. Version of April 28, 2008.

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Proof. Let 4ABC be a triangle with δABC = 0. This triangle has two acute angles
(Lemma 2). So, without loss of generality, we can assume that ∠A and ∠C are acute.
←→
Drop a perpendicular from B to the base line AC, and let F be the foot. Then A ∗ F ∗ C
by Lemma 1.
By the additivity of defect and the Saccherri-Legendre Theorem, we have that δABF = 0
and δF BC = 0. Observe that 4ABF and 4F BC are right triangles. 
By “gluing together” two congruent right triangles of defect zero, we can form a rectangle.
This is the basic idea of the following.
Proposition 2. If there exists a right triangle with defect zero, then there exists a rectangle.
Proof. Let 4ABC be a right triangle with right angle ∠A and defect zero. Let β = |∠B| and
γ = |∠C|. Since δABC = 0, it follows that β + γ = 90. Let D be a point such that ∠ACD
←→
is right and such that B and D are on the same side of AC. By Axiom C-2 we can choose
←→ ←→
D so that CD ∼ = AB. Observe that AB and CD are parallel since they are perpendicular
←→
to the same line AC.
By an earlier result (in the Quadrilateral Handout) ABDC is a regular quadrilateral.
In particular, B is interior to ∠ACD. Thus |∠ACB| + |∠BCD| = |∠ACD| = 90. Since
|∠ACB| = γ = 90 − β, we see that |∠BCD| = β. By SAS, we have 4ABC ∼ = 4DCB. So
∠D is right and |∠CBD| = γ.
Finally, C is interior to ∠ABD (since ABDC regular), so
|∠ABD| = |∠ABC| + |∠CBD| = β + γ = 90.
So all four angles of ABDC are right angles. 
If we have rectangles, we can “stack them” to form a large rectangle. This is the idea of
the following:
Proposition 3. Suppose there exists a rectangle. Then there exist arbitrarily large rectangles
in the following sense. If M is any real number, regardless of how large, then there is a
rectangle whose sides all have length bigger than M .
Proof. See the Quadrilateral Handout. 
Any right triangle that fits inside a rectangle must have defect zero. This is the idea of
the following.
Proposition
   4XY Z be a right triangle with right angle ∠X. Let M be the maximum
 4. Let
of XY  and XZ . Suppose there is a rectangle ABCD whose sides all have length greater
than M . Then δXY Z = 0.
Proof. By assumption (and the Segment Measure Theorem), XY < AB and XZ < AD.
Thus there is a point Y 0 with A ∗ Y 0 ∗ B and a point Z 0 with A ∗ Z 0 ∗ D such that AY 0 ∼
= XY
and AZ 0 ∼
= XZ.
Recall from the Quadrilateral Handout that, since ABCD is a rectangle, δABCD = 0
and δABCD = δABD+δBDC. In particular, δABD = 0. Since A∗Y 0 ∗B, we have δABD =
δAY 0 D + δY 0 DB. So δAY 0 D = 0. Since A ∗ Z 0 ∗ D, we have δAY 0 D = δAY 0 Z 0 + δZ 0 Y 0 D.
So δAY 0 Z 0 = 0.
By SAS, 4AY 0 Z 0 ∼= 4XY Z. Since δAY 0 Z 0 = 0, it follows that δXY Z = 0. 
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 Since every triangle can be divided into right triangles, we get the following.
Proposition 5. Suppose that every right triangle has defect zero. Then every triangle has
defect zero and angle sum 360.
Proof. Let 4ABC be any triangle. This triangle has two acute angles (Lemma 2). So,
without loss of generality, we can assume that ∠A and ∠C are acute. Drop a perpendicular
←→
from B to the base line AC, and let F be the foot. Then A ∗ F ∗ C by Lemma 1. So
δABC = δABF + δF BC.
But 4ABF and 4F BC are right triangles and so, by assumption, δABF = δF BC = 0.
Thus δABC = δABF + δF BC = 0 + 0 = 0. 

3. Results
We put the above together, and we get the main theorem.
Theorem (Legendre’s Defect Zero Theorem). If there exist a defect zero triangle, then all
triangles have defect zero.
Proof. By Proposition 1 there exists a defect zero right triangle. Thus, by Proposition 2,
there exists a rectangle. So, by Proposition 3, there exists rectangles of arbitrary size. Hence,
by Proposition 4, every right triangle must have defect zero. So, by Proposition 5, every
triangle must have defect zero. 
We can also use the above propositions to prove a couple other interesting results:
Proposition 6. If there exist a defect zero triangle, then there exists a rectangle.
Proof. By Proposition 1 there exists a defect zero right triangle. So, by Proposition 2, there
exists a rectangle. 
Proposition 7. If there exists a rectangles, then all triangles have defect zero.
Proof. By Proposition 3, there exists rectangles of arbitrary size. Hence, by Proposition 4,
every right triangle must have defect zero. So, by Proposition 5, every triangle must have
defect zero. 
Proposition 8. If there is a zero defect triangle, then all regular quadrilaterals have defect
zero.
Proof. By Legendre’s Zero-Defect Theorem, all triangles have zero defect. Let ABCD be
regular. Then
δABCD = δABC + δADC = 0 + 0 = 0
(See the Quadrilateral Handout for the equation δABCD = δABC + δADC). 

4. Positive Defect Situation

Above we discussed the consequence of having at least one defect zero triangle. Now we
discuss the consequences of having a triangle with positive defect (as we will see, this turns
out to be true in Hyperbolic Geometry).
Proposition 9. If there exists a triangle 4ABC with δABC > 0 then all triangles have
positive defect.
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Proof. Suppose otherwise, that there is a triangle of defect zero. Then by Legendre’s The-
orem (from the previous section), all triangles have defect zero. But this contradicts the
hypothesis that δABC > 0. 
Proposition 10. If there exists a triangle 4ABC with δABC > 0 then there are no rect-
angles.
Proof. Suppose that there are rectangles. Then, by Proposition 7, all triangles have defect
zero. But this contradicts the hypothesis that δABC > 0. 
Proposition 11. If there are no rectangles, then all triangles have positive defect.
Proof. Suppose otherwise, that there is a triangle of defect zero. Then by Proposition 6
there is a rectangle, contradicting our hypothesis. 
Remark. Later we will discuss the connection between zero or positive defect with UPP. We
will see that zero defect corresponds to Euclidean geometry and positive defect corresponds
to Hyperbolic geometry.