"Abbott-plane" is a term I made up. Flatland is a book by Edwin A Abbott published in 1884. It describes a square living in a two dimensional world, who comes into contact with a sphere and is faced with the difficulty of comprehending a three dimensional object from a two dimensional perspective. As the sphere passes through the square's plane it appears only as a circle which is changing size. On a mathematical level the book helps us visualize relationships between dimensions. On a practical level it challenges us to question our ability to understand things beyond our own scope of comprehension. It is quick read and absolutely worth it. |