Given: ABCD is a trapezium. AB || DC.
Points M and N are midpoints of diagonals AC and DB respectively.
To prove: MN || AB
Construction: Join D and M. Extend seg DM to meet seg AB at point E such that A-E-B.
Proof:
seg AB || seg DC and seg AC is their transversal. [Given]
∴ ∠CAB ≅ ∠ACD [Alternate angles]
∴ ∠MAE ≅ ∠MCD ….(i) [C-M-A, A-E-B]
In ∆AME and ∆CMD,
∠AME ≅ ∠CMD [Vertically opposite angles]
seg AM ≅ seg CM [M is the midpoint of seg AC]
∠MAE ≅∠MCD [From (i)]
∴ ∆AME ≅ ∆CMD [ASA test]
∴ seg ME ≅ seg MD [c.s.c.t]
∴ Point M is the midpoint of seg DE. … (ii)
In ∆DEB,
Points M and N are the midpoints of seg DE and seg DB respectively. [Given and from (ii)]
∴ seg MN || seg EB [Midpoint theorem]
∴ seg MN || seg AB [A-E-B]