One of the foundations of current knowledge is stored in the familiar word "geometry". Most remember him from school and associate complex figures, numbers and endless proofs with him, while some work with geometry on a daily basis. Be that as it may, this science marked the beginning of bold discoveries with centimeter-accurate calculations.
A bit of history
Like other fundamental sciences, geometry is one of the oldest, and its origin dates back thousands of years BC. The name of the subject is ancient Greek geometria from ge - Earth and metreo - I measure, which literally means measuring the Earth. However, this is a very modest designation given by her ancestors.
The development of science and its popularization was carried out by the ancient Greeks, but the first mention of geometry arose in ancient Egypt. The Greeks call themselves the disciples of the Egyptians and give an example to prove it. On one of the papyri, a legend is told about how a certain king dividedland into two rectangles to collect income from them. If the Nile took away something, then the king sent people to measure the land and reduce taxes. The papyrus legend dates back to the tenth century BC.
Meanwhile, by the 7th century BC. e. the first basics of geometry came to ancient Greece. Unformed, unexpressed. For hundreds of years, everything has been painstakingly collected, ordered, adding more and more new fragments. Thanks to the outstanding scientist Thales of Miletus, the science of geometry was founded. It was the first peak in a series of peaks that will be conquered in the future. By the way, it was Miletus who was the first to measure the height of the Cheops pyramid.
What is geometry? Definition of Geometry
Geometry is called the science of bodies and figures in space. Or, figuratively speaking, she studies the location and size of everything in relation to everything.
Geometry is a unique science. It is used almost everywhere:
- astronomy;
- geography;
- architecture;
- art;
- biology and anatomy;
- cinema and music.
And so on. Geometry begins in our lives before we are born and is present throughout our lives.
Huge work - to work with such a priceless thing. It is impossible to build a building without turning to geometry, there is a risk of creating a crooked house, and it will collapse. If you draw an asymmetrical portrait on a canvas, it will not look like a real person. It is impossible not to mention that geometry is a sectionmathematics - also helps in calculations. By the way, this text is written in even, identical letters, and the lines in it are also parallel to each other. Which is very handy for reading. Geometry has become so ingrained in our lives that we stopped noticing it. And in vain. How many amazing architectural monuments have been preserved from the past! And all because the builders created them as stable as possible, geometrically correct. The “minimalism” interior style that modern people like so much consists of clear, regular shapes with a maximum range of functions, but without excesses - this is geometry in an almost perfect form. The examples may be minor, but even they bring a sense of order and completeness to our world.
Sections of geometry
Now science is divided into two parts:
- Planimetry. The section studies figures in the limit of only one plane (most often it is a board, notebook, wall, tablet).
- Stereometry. This section studies shapes in space (room, house, country, universe).
The first section sets the primary data for the study of the second. Accordingly, they are interrelated. What is the difference? Very simple.
Let's imagine that a person draws a dot on a piece of paper. An empty sheet with a single dot in the middle. If you increase it, then it will be just a big point. Or average. So, its diameter can be 4, 5, 10 centimeters, any. As the person wishes. And if you run your hand over the paper, then in any size of the dot, a person will feel only a touch on the notebooksheet. All this is planimetry. In this case, the figure is a point, and the plane is a piece of paper.
If we consider a point from the side of stereometry, the picture changes significantly. It can be assumed that the point is a ball or an olive. The ball can be taken and moved to another place, as well as an olive, which can be eaten in the kitchen. The point has already become something voluminous, and much more actions can be performed with it. What is important, if you draw a dot, and put a ball and an olive of the same size and color next to it, then looking from above, you can see only 3 identical dots. On the side, this is already a drawing of a dot and two objects.
Geometry at school
Geometry has been a subject of study for a long time. Even at the time of the formation of the first schools and gymnasiums. Surprisingly, the more time passes since then, the less geometry is learned in schools. Of course, this is done so that all children can master the discipline in the same way, with an eye to the fact that this subject is not perceived by everyone.
Geometry as a school subject is studied mainly at the basic level, the material becomes more complicated every year. More recently, in most schools, it was introduced from the fifth to the sixth grade. Now the curriculum has shifted, and children receive their first knowledge of geometry from the first grade.
This is done so that students can more effectively prepare for the tasks that await them in high school. First graders have an excellent sense of space, which will be developed through the study of science, it is easier for them to understand the definition of geometry,what is it, what is useful, how to apply.
What is useful?
Man uses the main advantages of geometry on a subconscious level, not taking into account the very fact of using science. Nevertheless, understanding even school material contributes:
- forming the imagination, creating three-dimensional models in it;
- understanding how mechanisms work;
- formation of topographic thinking and orientation in space;
- the ability to design, create, reproduce mechanisms;
- solving simple everyday problems (for example, at what angle to put the tripod legs so that the camera stays stable on the surface) and much more.
Interesting facts about science
- Only in the 600th century B. C. there were attempts to justify or demonstrate the geometry. Up to this point, all the facts were intuitive, were such without proof.
- Abraham de Moivre noticed that the duration of his sleep increased by 15 minutes, then calculated in progression the date of eternal sleep. And so it happened, on the indicated day he died.
- Pi has a date of birth. In America, it's March 14, because it looks like 3, 14 (the beginning of pi).
