scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1009604

Publication date 20 November 1997

analytical solutions classification of geometrical problems Diophant Diophantus geometrical problems neusis problem Pappos Pappus

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 17th century (01A45) Analytic and descriptive geometry (51N99)

Review text

In the early 17th century Viète, Descartes, and Fermat were the key figures. Viète (1591) and Descartes (1637) gave a new view of mathematics. Their views show many similarities, they were visionary and programmatic as well. In contrary to the mathematicians of the 16th century, Viète and Descartes tried to give analytical solutions of geometrical problems, a special kind of mathematics which had its roots in Diophantus and Pappus. But there were also differences: Viète had only little interest in curves and locus problems, he treated higher problems as neusis problems. Desartes instead was strongly interested in curves, both, as loci and as the means for constructing problems in geometry. It was Descartes to first introduce the equivalence of figure and formula, i.e. curve and equation. The clearest formulation of this main principle of analytic geometry, however, is due to Fermat. Further, Fermat was the first to construct loci by intersection of loci. Beyond this the author gives a remarkable comparison of the traditional types of problem solving, as there are plane, solid and line-like problems, and the modern types are standard, mean proportionals, angular sections, area/content, neusis, division, triangle, varia. These different types are explained by means of a glossary. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0862.00010].

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