How Euclid once ruled the world | plus.maths.org

This article explores how Euclid's ancient geometry interacts with all aspects of human thought and life.

Euclid, as depicted by Justus van Gent in the 15th century. Geometry is obviously a very useful area of maths. We need it to measure things, to understand shapes, and to navigate through the spaces we live in. But I'd like to argue that geometry is much more than that: it interacts with all aspects of human thought and life. To start, let's turn to a person who is universally known as the "father of geometry": the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid . Euclid's work is the earliest example we have of a systematic approach to geometry. When you make a general statement in geometry, such as Pythag

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