La Geometrie
…While it is true that every curve which can be described by a continuous motion should ve recognized in geometry, this does not mean that we should use at random the first one that we meet in the construction of a given problem. We should always choose with care the simplest curve that can be used in the solution of a problem, but it should be noted that the simplest means not merely the one most easily described, nor the one that leads to the easiest demonstration or construction of the problem, but rather the one of the simplest class that can be used to determine the required quantity…
Renee Descartes, 1637, La Geometrie, Book III, page 152.
While he is revolutionazing mathematics by connecting Euclidean notions with algebra, introducing Cartesian (Analytic) geometry. I encourage everyone in architectural geometry community to read this book first. Note that he uses term “quantity” in describing algebraic construction of geometric objects.
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