Spring 2002, MWF 2:30-3:20
The course is devoted to the topic of points and lines in
the real projective and Euclidean planes, and to its combinatorial and geometric
underpinnings. Parts of the course,
such as the configurations of Pappus, Desargues, and others, are important in classical
geometry as well as in axiomatic and algebraic approaches. Other parts reflect
more modern aspects, and ongoing research activities here and abroad. In particular, we shall cover general approaches
to combinatorial and geometric configurations, connections to algebraic aspects
of graph theory, and the effects of
computers on presentation of the configurations and on
solving problems related to configurations.
No prerequisites beyond graduate status are required.