Sylvester–Gallai theorem
ID: sylvester-gallai-theorem
The Sylvester-Gallai theorem states that a finite noncollinear set of points in the real Euclidean plane determines a line containing exactly two of its points. Finiteness, noncollinearity and the real field matter. A useful proof chooses the smallest positive distance between a point and a line determined by the set. If contains at least three points, two of them, , lie on the same closed side of the perpendicular foot, with nearer. The distance from to is the original altitude multiplied by , contradicting minimality. Thus contains exactly two points. Related statements over complex projective space require a different conclusion.[ref]
The Sylvester–Gallai theorem is a result in combinatorial geometry that deals with the arrangement of points in the plane.
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