Math and many of its aspects are a major part of everyday life. We spend the majority of our school years studying and learning the concepts of it. Many times, the question of ‘why do we need to know these things?’ has been asked. The following report will explain the history and purpose of geometry in our lives.
‘Geometry’ means ‘measure of the earth’. In ancient Egypt, the Nile would flood its banks each year, flooding the land and destroying the farm areas. When the waters receded and the people had to redefine the boundaries. This work was called geometry and was seen as a re-establishment of the principle of law and order on earth. (Lawlor, 6)
Geometry is the mathematics of the properties, measurement, and relationship of the points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids (Foner and Garraty). An ancient Greek mathematician, named Euclidean, was the founder of the study of geometry. Euclid’s Elements is the basis for modern school textbooks in geometry. On the other hand, there is non-Euclidean geometry. This refers to the types of geometry which deny Euclid’s postulate about parallel lines. Once Albert Einstein put forth the theory of Relativity other approaches to geometry, besides Euclid’s was needed. (Kett and Trefil)
Pythagoras emphasized the study of musical harmony and geometry. His theorem was that the square of the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the other two sides. (Kett and Trefil) Johannes Kepler, formulator of the laws of planetary motion is quoted as saying, ‘Geometry has two great treasures: one of them is the theorem of Pythagoras, the other the division of a line into mean and extreme ratios, that is the Golden Mean.’ (Lawlor, 53) There are great philosophical, natural and artistic things which have surrounded this dimension ever since humanity first began to reflect upon the geometric forms of the world. Its presence can be found in the sacred art of Egypt,...