Abstract

Since the recognition of the Earth’s approximately spherical shape, one of the central challenges in cartography has been the construction of accurate maps of the Earth’s surface that are suitable for navigation. Representing a curved surface on a plane inevitably introduces distortions, making the development of reliable map projections a longstanding mathematical and practical problem. Despite its importance, many standard cartography texts devote limited attention to the underlying mathematical principles involved in map construction. Conversely, existing treatments of this problem in differential geometry or vector calculus often suffer from pedagogical limitations. In particular, the historical motivation behind map projections is frequently overlooked, key concepts are sometimes introduced without sufficient explanation of their origins or applications, and essential formulas are presented with little discussion of their derivation.

References

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