PRINCIPIA · THEOREM

Reflection: axis ⊥ bisects each pair of corresponding points

Depends on: Perpendicular bisector ⇔ equidistant from endpoints, SSS congruence.

Statement

Let ℓ\ell be a line in the plane, and denote by σℓ\sigma_\ell the reflection across ℓ\ell: each point PP maps to P′=σℓ(P)P' = \sigma_\ell(P) such that ℓ\ell is the perpendicular bisector of segment PP′PP' — this is the geometric definition of reflection.

Then σℓ\sigma_\ell preserves distances and angles: for any pair of points AA, BB and their images A′=σℓ(A)A' = \sigma_\ell(A), B′=σℓ(B)B' = \sigma_\ell(B),

∣A′B′∣=∣AB∣,∠PA′B′ equals ∠PAB (as corresponding angles).|A'B'| = |AB|, \qquad \angle PA'B' \text{ equals } \angle PAB \text{ (as corresponding angles)}.

In other words, reflection is a congruence transformation — it carries each figure as a whole to the other side of ℓ\ell, preserving lengths and angles.

Reflection schematic: a vertical axis \ell flips \triangle ABC to \triangle A'B'C'; the three horizontal dashed segments AA', BB', CC' are all perpendicularly bisected by \ell.

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