Non-Euclidean Geometry: The Forgotten Story
The historic race to prove Euclid wrong!
Non-Euclidean geometry is a well-established notion in modern mathematics and science. However, this is a relatively recent development and was not always the case. In fact, the history of non-Euclidean geometry had remained controversial for the majority of its duration.
In this essay, we dive into the origin and the story of how the notion of non-Euclidean geometry established itself in modern mathematics and science. This fascinating story begins with Euclid himself and strings along an assorted list of mathematicians and ends with a physicist. Let us begin.
The Origins of Non-Euclidean Geometry
Our story begins with Euclid’s Elements. As hard as I have tried, I have found Euclid’s Elements tough to read. Either simplicity was not his strong point or I am not smart enough to “get it” quickly. Regardless, in the context of this essay, we need only to focus on Euclid’s fifth postulate.
Since Euclid’s version of the postulate might be too much for us to handle, I prefer Martin Gardner’s simplified interpretation:
“Through a point on a plane, not on a given straight line, only one line is parallel to the given line.”
