Euclid and His Modern Rivals (1885)

Euclid And His Modern Rivals is a book written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, and published in 1885. The book is a critique of some of the contemporary geometries that were challenging Euclid's geometry, which had been the standard for over two thousand years. Dodgson, who was a mathematician and logician as well as a writer, was particularly interested in the controversy surrounding non-Euclidean geometries, which were being developed by mathematicians like Nikolai Lobachevsky and J?????nos Bolyai. These geometries challenged Euclid's fifth postulate, which states that through a point not on a given line, only one line can be drawn parallel to the given line. In Euclid And His Modern Rivals, Dodgson argues that despite the advances made by these non-Euclidean geometries, Euclid's geometry is still the most useful and practical for everyday use. He also critiques other contemporary geometries, such as the ""game of logic"" developed by Augustus De Morgan, which Dodgson argues is too abstract and disconnected from real-world applications. The book is written in Dodgson's signature witty and playful style, with numerous examples and diagrams to illustrate his arguments. It is a fascinating look at the development of geometry in the 19th century and the debates that surrounded it, as well as a testament to Dodgson's own mathematical prowess.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.