Abstract

Introduction The idea for this Appendix arose from our perception of a frustrating situation faced by vision researchers. For example, one is interested in some aspect of the theory of perspective image formation such as the epipolar line. The interested party goes to the library to check out a book on projective geometry filled with hope that the necessary mathematical machinery will be directly at hand. These expectations are quickly dashed. Upon opening the book, the expectant reader finds the presentation dominated by endless observations about harmonic relations and a few chapters which explore the minutiae of Pappus' theorem. Finally, as a last cruel twist of irony, the book ends in triumph with a rather exhilarating discourse on the conic pencil. All of the material is presented in the form of theorems defined on points, lines and conics without the use of coordinates, except perhaps for a quick pause to define barycentric coordinates just to taunt the reader. Dejected, the vis

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