The book aims at future teachers of mathematics. All too often the geometry which goes into the syllabus for teacher-students presents the material as pedantic and formalistic, suppressing its dynamic character and its role as part of the foundation for our common cultural heritage. The motivation for the book is to open up these aspects of the field. Another motivation is to provide an invitation to mathematics in general. It is an unfortunate fact that today, at a time when mathematics and knowledge of mathematics are more important than ever, phrases like math avoidance and math anxiety are very much in the public vocabulary. An important task is seriously attempting to heal these ills. Ills perhaps inflicted on students at an early age, through deficient or even harmful teaching practices. Thus the book also aims at an informed public, interested in making a new beginning in math. And in doing so, learning more about this part of our cultural heritage. The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 is called A Cultural Heritage. The section constitutes an excursion into the history of geometry. It also contains material which is normally not included into a mathematical text. For example, we relate some of the stories told by the Greek historian, Herodotus. Apart from being good reading, some of the early geometers were very much part of these events.
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From the reviews of the second edition:
"Devised primarily for future teachers of mathematics, but to be enjoyed by all lovers of geometry, including professional geometers, who will likely find something new in the historical part, this book renders an essential service to the mathematical community by presenting the story of geometry in two equal halves, the first half surveying its history up to Descartes and the second one presenting the version of geometry that emerged from the axiomatic revolution of the late 19th century, with an emphasis on algebraic geometry." (Victor V. Pambuccian, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1202, 2011)
"Devised primarily for future teachers of mathematics, but to be enjoyed by all lovers of geometry, including professional geometers, who will likely find something new in the historical part, this book renders an essential service to the mathematical community by presenting the story of geometry in two equal halves, the first half surveying its history up to Descartes and the second one presenting the version of geometry that emerged from the axiomatic revolution of the late 19th century, with an emphasis on algebraic geometry." (Victor V. Pambuccian, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1202, 2011)