Blog Post #11 – Euclidean Geometry

Reading into Euclid of Alexandria is perplexing. He’s said to be one of the greatest mathematicians of his time, yet very little is known about the man. Surely, this is a function of being born BC (before Christ), but even then historical figures of his stature command a greater amount of attention. Despite this, much is known about his book, The Elements, as it is regarded for its substantial contributions to the advancement of mathematics. The Elements is a work of art which details and explores many concepts within geometry. It is likely studied today, and will continued to be studied, given that Euclid’s thinking on the topic was foundational in nature. In fact, it is even said that mathematicians throughout history have credited Euclid and his pioneer-like thinking on the matter. They’ve not only drawn inspiration from him, but have also said that he was able to make connections and pull mathematical concepts together that others simply weren’t able to see. Fundamentally, the ideas brought forth on basic plane geometry draw many mathematicians to Euclid’s work.

In my opinion, which doesn’t compare to the many experts on the topic, there is beauty in Euclidean postulates. As I read about his work and his personal life, I’m still taken aback at the 1st common notion. It states: “things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another.” This statement in itself depicts the beauty of which Euclid’s work represents. Beauty is an abstract concept, one which I’m not sure can have a definition for.