Descartes' La Geometrie

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Royal
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Descartes' La Geometrie

Post by Royal » Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:54 am

In 1637, French philospher and mathematician Rene Descartes published La Geometrie, which shows how geometrical shapes and figures can be analyzed using algebra. His work influenced the evolution of analytical geometry, a field of mathematics that involves the representation of positions in a coordinate system and in which mathematicians algebraically analyze such positions.

"Just as the history of Western philosophy has been viewed as a series of footnotes to Plato, so the past 350 years of mathematics can be viewed as a series of footnotes to Descartes' Geometry... and the methods of Descartes' methods of problem solving."

"In terms of mathematical ability, Descartes probably was the most able thinker of his day, but he was at heart not really a mathematician." His geometry was only one facet of a full life that revolved around science, philosophy, and religion.

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