Similarity is a generalisation of congruence: two similar figures have the same shape but not necessarily the same size. The fundamental case is that of triangles.

Definition — Similar triangles

Two triangles are similar if they have respectively congruent angles and corresponding sides in proportion (ratio of similarity kk).

The number kk is the ratio of similarity: it indicates how many times each side of one triangle is larger than the corresponding side of the other. If k=1k=1 the two triangles are congruent.

Topics: Similarity
Concepts: Ratio of similarity · Similarity · Similar triangles
Skills: Synthetic geometry