This book reconstructs, both from the historical and theoretical points of view, Leibniza (TM)s geometrical studies, focusing in particular on the research Leibniz carried on in the last years of his life. The main purpose of the work is to offer a better understanding of the philosophy of space and in general of the mature Leibnizean metaphysics, through a pressing confrontation with the problems of geometric foundation. Regarding this scope of problems, the book also deals quite in depth with Leibniza (TM)s theory of sensibility, thus favouring the comparison and contrast between Leibniza (TM)s philosophy and Kanta (TM)s transcendentalist solution. The Appendix gives editing to a number of previously unpublished manuscripts on geometry from the Leibniz Archiv.

本书是20世纪大数学家外尔阐释对称思想的力作。对称是人类千百年来试图理解和建立秩序、优美、完美所依据的概念之一。本书从对称意味着比例之和谐这一概念出发，从双侧对称性、平移对称性、旋转对称性、装饰对称性、晶体对称性等对称性的几何概念，逐步深入、最后上升到作为所有这些特殊形式基础的普遍的抽象数学思想。