by John CONWAY (Princeton U.)
Abstract:
Pascal's famous theorem asserts that the three intersections of pairs
of opposite edges of a hexagon inscribed in a conic are collinear. In the
nineteenth century, this led to an enormous configuration of further
lines and points discovered by Steiner, Plücker, Kirkman, Cayley, and
Salmon.
I will prove all their theorems and show how the duality of S6 (which
I will also explain) helps to understand them.