About this book
This book, designed as a nod to the journal Tangente, offers an exploration of the various facets of the notion of tangency found in all areas of mathematics and in several sometimes unexpected applications.
Originally, many geometric situations are related to the circle (Arbelos, Archimedes' twin circles, circles of Pappus, Malfatti, and even sangaku).
Curves and lines take over thanks to the link with the derivative and extrapolation to asymptotes.
The tangent remains today a powerful universal tool for studying curves and trying to uncover their properties.
Moreover, the development of analysis has provided a framework for the study of certain functions used for a long time. This is the case in trigonometry, in particular with the tangent function.
The journey ends with the use of the notion of tangency in many fields, particularly in physics, but also… in economics
Originally, many geometric situations are related to the circle (Arbelos, Archimedes' twin circles, circles of Pappus, Malfatti, and even sangaku).
Curves and lines take over thanks to the link with the derivative and extrapolation to asymptotes.
The tangent remains today a powerful universal tool for studying curves and trying to uncover their properties.
Moreover, the development of analysis has provided a framework for the study of certain functions used for a long time. This is the case in trigonometry, in particular with the tangent function.
The journey ends with the use of the notion of tangency in many fields, particularly in physics, but also… in economics