Ideals and Varieties of the Pinhole Camera

Explore the fascinating intersection of mathematics and photography in this AMS Invited Address from the 2023 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Delve into the history and mechanics of the pinhole camera, tracing its evolution from ancient times to modern applications. Examine the mathematical principles behind image reconstruction, including projective geometry and chiral reconstruction. Investigate the intriguing Question 296 and its implications for computer vision. Learn about smooth cubic surfaces and their connection to classical geometry. Discover the role of invariant theory in understanding the geometry of six points in space. Gain insights into the mathematical foundations of image formation and reconstruction, with applications ranging from historical reconstruction to cutting-edge computer vision techniques.