Projective Geometry
Fundamental Concepts
Terraced
Perspective
Simone
Martini:
MAJESTY
Vertical
Perspective
Duccio’s
Last Supper
Focused
Perspective
Renaissance Painting
Perspective of size
- the remote objects are
painted smaller
Perspective of colors
- the remote objects are
painted with dimmer colors
Perspective of outlines
- the remote objects are
painted with softer outlines
Perspective Picturing
Leonardo de Vinci - Mona Lisa
Gothic Painting
figures are placed
beside one another
Gerard Desargues’ (1591-1661)
He invented a new, non-Greek way of doing geometry,
now called 'projective' or 'modern' geometry.
Desargues' Theorem
Desargues' theorem
states that if two
triangles are
perspective from a
point then they are
perspective from a
line.
Do we see parallel lines as parallel?
Is the triangle equilateral?
10
Can we recognize
a circle?
11
So, in projective geometry:
we cannot measure distances
we cannot measure angles
we do not have the notion of ‘parallel lines’
we cannot distinguish between squares and other
quadrilaterals
we cannot distinguish between circles and
ellipses
12
But, in projective geometry:
straight lines ‘remain’ straight lines
triangles remain triangles (but may change
shape)
collinear points are still collinear
quadrilaterals remain quadrilaterals
13
Euclidean Geometry versus Projective Geometry
Euclidean Geometry describes shapes “as they are”
Properties that are invariant or unchanged by rigid motions
Lengths
Angles
Parallelism
Projective Geometry describes objects “as they appear”
Lengths, angles and parallelism become distorted when we look at
objects
14 Mathematical model for how images of the 3D world are formed
Projective Geometry
Projective geometry is the study of
geometric properties which are
invariant under “changes of
perspective”.
This eliminates properties like angles and distances but
retains properties like collinearity and concurrence.
Gerard Desargues – founder
15
Projective geometry terms:
a projective point – or Point – is a
line through the origin
a projective line – or Line – is a
plane through the origin
16
17
Properties of projective
Points and Lines:
Any two distinct Points lie on (or determine) a unique Line.
18
Properties of projective
Points and Lines:
Any two distinct Lines intersect in a unique Point.
19
In order to obtain diagrams that
we can draw and interpret in
the usual way, we need to
intersect these rays through the
origin with a plane. Such a
plane is called an embedding
plane. But, as we have seen, a
different choice of embedding
plane gives different looking
(Euclidean) diagrams.
20
Given any embedding plane, not every
(projective) Point is represented by a
(Euclidean) point on the embedding plane.
Which (projective ) Points are not represented by a point
21
on this embedding plane?
Given any embedding plane, not every
(projective) Point is represented by a
(Euclidean) point on the embedding plane.
projective point with
no representative on
the embedding plane
Ideal point
OR
Point of infinity
projective point with
22 a representative on
the embedding plane
Lines that are parallel on an embedding plane
intersect in an ideal Point for that embedding
plane.
23
24
Pencils
A set of points incident with a line is called a pencil
of points (or range of points), and the line is called
the axis.
Example:
A set of points {A, B, C, D} on a line l is called a pencil of
points with axis l.
A set of lines incident with a point is called a pencil
of lines, and the point is called the center.
Example
A set of lines {a, b, c, d } concurrent at a point P is called
a pencil of lines with center P.
25
Perspective
Principles of Perspective
All lines perpendicular to the canvas are parallel in
space and will converge at a point, called the
“principal vanishing point.”
All lines parallel to the canvas will not converge on the
canvas but stay parallel and horizontal on the canvas.
All other lines parallel in space will converge at their
vanishing points, and all of the vanishing points are on
the horizontal line.
Perspectivity
A correspondence between
two pencils of points is a
perspectivity if pair of
corresponding points are
collinear with a fixed point
(i.e. the lines incident with the
corresponding points of the
two pencils are concurrent).
We say the two pencils of points
are perspective under this
correspondence.
The fixed point is called the
28
center of perspectivity.
Perspectivity
A correspondence
between two pencils of
points is a perspectivity if
pair of corresponding
points are collinear with a
fixed point (i.e. the lines
incident with the
corresponding points of
the two pencils are
concurrent).
29
Perspectivity
A correspondence between two
pencils of lines is a perspectivity if the
points of intersection of the
corresponding lines of the two pencils
are collinear.
We say the two pencils of lines are
perspective under this correspondence.
The line containing the points of
intersection is called the axis of
perspectivity.
30
Perspectivity
A correspondence
between two pencils
of lines is a
perspectivity if the
points of intersection
of the corresponding
lines of the two pencils
are collinear.
31
Perspectivity
The set of points on two planes are
perspective if pairs of corresponding points
are collinear with a fixed point not on either
plane.
The fixed point is called the center of
perspectivity.
32
Projectivity
It is the
correspondence
resulting from the
product of a finite
sequence of
perspectivities.
33
Projectivity
It is the correspondence
resulting from the product of a
finite sequence of
perspectivities.
34
Perspectivity
A perspectivity is a projectivity fixing the points of a line
(a), called the axis of perspectivity, and leaving invariant
all the lines through a point A, called the center of
perspectivity.
If point A is not contained in line (a), then the
perspectivity is more specifically (Sophus Lie 1842-1899)
called a homology.
If point A is contained in line (a), then the perspectivity is
called an elation.
Perspectivity through two triangles
EXERCISES
State whether or not each property in Euclidean geometry
is also preserved in projective geometry.
1. Measures of angles
2. Collinearity
3. Measures of Area
4. Ratios of Distances
5. Property of being a circle
6. Property of being a square
7. Property of being a triangle
8. Property of being a rectangle
9. Property of being a parallelogram
10. Property of three points being the vertices of an equilateral triangle
37
11. Property of one point being the midpoint of the segment determined
by two other points
End of Presentation!
38
