The map from here
A theorem, not a flaw. That a map lies is not a technical problem: it is a theorem. Gauss proved that a sphere cannot be unrolled onto a plane without distorting it. So every projection chooses what to ruin —angles, areas, distances or shapes— and none keeps them all.
Where this sits
Exercises from this rung
Generated by the app, from easiest to hardest
Can there be a flat map that distorts nothing?
- No, and it is proven
- Yes, if it is big enough
- Yes, with satellites
- Only Mercator's
Why Gauss proved it in 1827 and there is no way around it: the sphere and the plane have different curvatures, and no technique fixes that. What you can do is choose what to distort depending on what the map is for, which is why there are hundreds of projections.