Tilde Runnquist: Punkten och linjen enligt Charlotte Angas Scott

Abstract.

The purpose of this thesis is to mediate the essence of a part in Charlotte Angas Scotts An Introductory Account of Certain Modern Ideas And Methods in Plane Analytical Geometry (1894). The book is written in a mathematical context very different from the one students learn analytical geometry and linear algebra in today and my aim is to rephrase Scotts work so that modern day students can have easier access to it.

The part that will be dissected in this thesis is about the so-called primary element in the plane. Scott is comparing the point and the line by adapting a three-coordinate-system where the similarites between the two is (arguably) visible. In the distance lies the topic duality. Scott says that duality is the underlying principle manifested by the correspondence of the point and the line. Here we are going to interpret Scotts reasoining by re-placing said correspondence in our mathematical context.