The Real Projective Plane: PC Version/Book & Disk

Rating:
Summary: standard reference. NOT for highschool students.
Review: This book teaches the basics of projective geometry from an abstract and axiomatic approach. The book claims that any bright highschool student should be able to understand it, but it's more likely that a 3rd year undergraduate math major will have difficulty digesting the book by himself. This is because its axiomatic approach, plus it is written extremely succinctly. If you are going to read this book on your own, some experience with modern math and history of geometry is a good pre-requisite. The book by itself is an excellent work. I believe it is the only modern, strictly axiomatic approach to projective geometry of real plane. This is a standard reference to projective geometers. The software that accompanies the book is of no utility. It is written in 1993 era, requires you to have Mathematica, is not useful, and also because it comes in an early 90s 5.5" floppy disk. (I think it's on mathsource.com) If you want to learn projective geometry with some computer software enhancement, I highly suggest CabriGeometry II or The Geometer's Sketchpad, Cinderella or other similar ones. Note that projective geometry of lower dimensions is essentially theory of conic sections. Anyone who are serious about conics should study projective geometry. Projective Geometry in the 18th century were thought as the top most parent of all geometry and highly exhorted. --Xah Lee