My appreciation of geometry (Q394173): Difference between revisions

In this clearly written and quite accessible paper, the author provides an overview of his ideas about geometry. Through a wide-encompassing historical approach from the ancient Greeks to the present, the author highlights his vision of a continuous and cumulative development of geometry and beyond, of mathematics and physics. Consequently, the interplay between geometry, algebra, the theory of heat, electromagnetism and relativity, to mention but a few characteristic examples, are strongly emphasized. At the same time, various key features of the whole, notably the tremendous importance of various ideas of symmetry, in the case of Platonic polyhedra, Herman Weyl's gauge theory, its later generalizations by Chen-Ning Yang and Einstein's relativity, for instance, are also put forward. Not less importantly too, the author underlines his ideas about harmony, truth and beauty. Lastly, in his answer to a few questions after his talk, he expresses his conviction that geometry is essential in middle school mathematical education.