On Mercator Projection
Mrecator prejection; Complex exponential function; Tractrix curve.
We present two important properties of the Mercator projection: the connection with
the complex exponential function and the intimate relationship that can be established
between the projection and the tractrix curve. These properties allow us to present the
complex exponential function and the tractrix curve using the projection of Mercator as
a motivation, thus providing a way of presenting these abstract mathematical concepts
with the practical extreme appeal of cartography. This work was strongly inspired
by the article textit Some properties related to Mercator projection, by Wim Pijls,
published in volume 108 of The American Mathematical Monthly.