The Origins of Formation of Descriptive Geometry

Abstract

The translation "Descriptive geometry" is not entirely accurate. In fact, the phrase should be translated as "Narrative geometry". Based on this translation, it can be confidently stated that the science under consideration serves not only as a theoretical basis for orthogonal projections, a special case of which are ordinary drawings, but also for any images – in this the author of the article fully agrees with such authorities as N.A. Rynin, N.F. Chetverukhin, V.O. Gordon, S.A. Frolov, N.A. Sobolev and many others. The paper considers the origins of one of the directions of geometry – descriptive geometry. The hypothesis is put forward that in reality descriptive geometry, or rather, its elements, was originally involved in ancient times, during the primitive communal system when making drawings on the walls of caves and rocks. Orthogonal projections were used in the ancient world and in the Middle Ages, and Gaspard Monge at the end of the XVIII century systematized all the existing disconnected developments on descriptive geometry, adding his own research. Most likely, geometry in general was the very first science that originated when our ancestors who lived in caves faced the problem of increasing the living area due to population growth. And descriptive geometry began to develop from the moment when the first artist depicted scenes from life on the cave wall: hunting, fishing, tribal wars, events that shocked people, etc. Ancient artists existed on all continents of the globe, except perhaps Antarctica, since rock carvings were found on all other continents. And the earliest was performed somewhere 25-30 thousand years ago. Thus, the hypothesis that the elements of descriptive geometry originated in the primitive communal system can be considered proven.