This is a long process. Euclid in ancient Greece was the first to systematically study plane figures, such as triangles, quadrilaterals, circles and polygons, by deduction. Later, there were figures cut from cones with different faces, which were called conic curves. Later Descartes invented analytic geometry, which combined geometry with algebra.

Euclid's most famous book is Elements of Geometry, which is the basis of European mathematics and summarizes five postulates of plane geometry. It is widely regarded as the most successful textbook in history. Euclid also wrote some works about perspective, conic curve, spherical geometry and number theory.

Extended data

The Elements of Geometry not only preserved many early geometric theories in ancient Greece, but also carried forward these ancient mathematical ideas through Euclid's pioneering systematic arrangement and complete exposition. It initiated the study of classical number theory, founded Euclidean geometry system on the basis of a series of axioms, definitions and postulates, and became the earliest model of mathematical deduction system established by axiomatic method.

He also made his own original arrangement in the content arrangement of the whole book. From shallow to deep, from simple to complex, this paper discusses straight edge, circle, proportion theory, similarity, number, solid geometry and exhaustive method. The discussion on exhaustive method has become the source of modern calculus thought.