Dialogues about geometry and light

TL;DR

This paper explores the historical and conceptual connections between geometry and light, highlighting new insights and didactic approaches to understanding their relationship through a historical perspective.

Contribution

It presents a novel didactic perspective on the relationship between geometry and light, emphasizing historical context and new interpretations of old concepts.

Findings

Historical links between optics and geometry are elucidated.

New didactic methods for teaching the connection are proposed.

Insights into ancient and modern understanding of light and geometry are discussed.

Abstract

Throughout human history, people have used sight to learn about the world, but only in relatively recent times the science of light has been developed. Egyptians and Mesopotamians made the first known lenses out of quartz, giving birth to what was later known as optics. On the other hand, geometry is a branch of mathematics that was born from practical studies concerning lengths, areas and volumes in the early cultures, although it was not put into axiomatic form until the 3rd century BC. In this work, we will discuss the connection between these two timeless topics and show some "new things in old things". There has been several works in this direction, but taking into account the didactic approach of the Enrico Fermi Summer School, we would like to address the subject and our audience in a new light.