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Geometry (from Ancient Greek γεωμετρία (geōmetría) ' land measurement '; from γῆ (gê) ' earth, land ' and μέτρον (métron) ' a measure ') [1] is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. [2]
Cooke notes "This relation, however, is controversial." ... Thales was known for introducing the theoretical and practical use of geometry to Greece, ...
Algebra (and later, calculus) can thus be used to solve geometrical problems. Geometry was split into two new subfields: synthetic geometry, which uses purely geometrical methods, and analytic geometry, which uses coordinates systemically. [23] Analytic geometry allows the study of curves unrelated to circles and lines.
Geometry was revolutionized by Euclid, who introduced mathematical rigor and the axiomatic method still in use today. His book, The Elements is widely considered the most influential textbook of all time, and was known to all educated people in the West until the middle of the 20th century.
If developed as a part of solid geometry, use is made of points, straight lines and planes (in the Euclidean sense) in the surrounding space. In spherical geometry, angles are defined between great circles, resulting in a spherical trigonometry that differs from ordinary trigonometry in many respects; for example, the sum of the interior angles ...
Euclidean geometry has two fundamental types of measurements: angle and distance. The angle scale is absolute, and Euclid uses the right angle as his basic unit, so that, for example, a 45-degree angle would be referred to as half of a right angle. The distance scale is relative; one arbitrarily picks a line segment with a certain nonzero ...
Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which uses abstract algebraic techniques, mainly from commutative algebra, to solve geometrical problems. Classically, it studies zeros of multivariate polynomials ; the modern approach generalizes this in a few different aspects.
In geometry, straightedge-and-compass construction – also known as ruler-and-compass construction, Euclidean construction, or classical construction – is the construction of lengths, angles, and other geometric figures using only an idealized ruler and a compass.