Dequantization of Real Algebraic Geometry on Logarithmic Paper

Abstract

On logarithmic paper some real algebraic curves look like smoothed broken lines. Moreover, the broken lines can be obtained as limits of those curves. The corresponding deformation can be viewed as a quantization, in which the broken line is a classical object and the curves are quantum. This generalizes to a new connection between algebraic geometry and the geometry of polyhedra, which is more straight-forward than the other known connections and gives a new insight into constructions used in the topology of real algebraic varieties.