Mathematics and Architect

             Mathematics and Architect

God ever geometrize:- Plato

 Plato it seems was right in his saying. The construction of buildings, railways, monuments etc need a mastery of geometry. Moreover the geometrical shape can be seen every where in the natural objects which perhaps god has created.

Can you tell me why is Mathematics called the queen of all subjects?

Probably, because there is no any field in the world which can survive without mathematics. It is not that only Scientists, Businessmen, Bank Employees, Share Brokers, Engineers, Architects use mathematics but even a common man can not do without mathematics. A coolie, a cobbler, a weaver, a grocer etc, etc all needs a simple arithmetic in their daily lives.

Your papa will certainly be the earning members of your family and your mummy must be executing the monthly budget to buy your books, dress, to pay the rent, to buy the house hold goods and to save certain amount of money for future; all these need a skillful calculation of mathematics.

In the early morning when you get up by hearing the sound of your alarm clock, what is your first reaction?

Oh, it is 6 o’clock!

This shows that your day begins with the numerals.

I .W.A.Young has rightly said-

Whenever we turn in these days of iron, steam and electricity we find that mathematics has been the pioneer. Were its backbone removed, our material civilization would inevitably collapse.

In the present chapter an effort has been made to show how much deep the root of mathematics is? Mathematics believes in truth and universal hood. It helps a person to think logically, to be patient and to speak the truth.

Mathematics does furnish the power for deliberate thought and accurate statement and to speak the truth. Gossip, flattery, slander, deceit all speak from a mind that has not been trained by mathematics – Dutton

Mathematics and Architect

The construction of high rise buildings, temples, historical monuments etc all require a great deal of mathematical work. In the Vedic era the risis used to build the altars for religious rites of sacrifice. The shapes of such altars were mostly a right angled triangle. A knotted rope of length 3, 4, 5 was used to make such altars. In the construction of temple of Athena Parthenos the Pythagorean Theorem was used. The length, breadth and height of the temple are 69.5m, 30.88m and 13.72m respectively which are in the ratio of 16 : 36 :81.

The use of golden triangle is evident in the construction of the pyramid. The Egyptian Architects had the knowledge of advanced mathematics that can be seen with the dimension of pyramids they had built. The maximum error in the length of the sides of the great pyramid is only 0.63 inches which is 1/14000 of the total length and also the   error in the angle at the pyramidal corner is no more than 12’’ of a degree i.e. 1/27000 of the angle 90⁰.

Bombelli, Bramer, Wren, and Leonardo da Vinci are the few names who had shown their ability in both the fields as an Architect and as mathematicians.

               

             

                

 First layer of a Vedic sacrificial altar (in the shape of a falcon)

 It was believed that offering a sacrifice on such an altar would enable the soul of a supplicant to be conveyed directly to heaven by a falcon. A falcon shape altar used to be constructed in 5 layers with 200 brick for each layer making the total number of brick used in making alter was 200 x 5 = 1000 bricks. The bricks used for the platform were of 5 different shapes. These bricks were made by a special class of specialists. No burnt bricks were used for the purpose. Only the sun dried bricks were used for constructing the altar

(Picture Courtesy: http://www.athirathram.org)

The five types of bricks used to construct the falcon shape altar has been used here. 

Let’s see the modern building which is designed on some of mathematical shapes.

1. Mobius Strip Pagoda:- The Buddhist temple soon to be built in Taichang, China, takes shape of a Mobius ring, reflecting the basic principles of Buddhism and the idea of reincarnation.

http://www.evolo.us/architecture/buddhism-temple-based-on-a-mobius-strip-miliy-design/

2. Tetrahedral-Shaped Church

The tetrahedron is a convex polyhedron with four triangular faces. The structure consists of a tubular steel frame of 100 identical tetrahedrons. Each tetrahedron is 75'-0" long, weighs five tons, and is enclosed with clear aluminum panels. They are comprised of six-inch tubes with four-inch secondary cross-braces, which were manufactured in Missouri and shipped to the site by rail. Each tetrahedron is spaced a foot apart, which creates gaps in the framework that are filled with one-inch thick colored glass designed in Chartres, France. At the chapel level, the tetrahedrons between the spires are filled with a mosaic of colored glass in an aluminum frame. The structure rises 150'-0" from hinge to pinnacle, has an overall length of 280'-0", and is 84'-0" wide from hinge to hinge. The south-facing front façade has a wide granite stairway with steel railings capped by aluminum handrails and leads up to a one story landing. At the landing is a band of gold anodized aluminum doors. Above the doors is a glass wall. The triangular north façade consists of a glass curtain wall in an aluminum frame.

http://docomomo-us.org/register/fiche/united_states_air_force_academy_cadet_chapel

3. Experimental Math-Music Pavilion

Philips Pavilion in shape of asymmetric hyperbolic paraboloids is built in 1958 in Netherland

http://interschoolmathematics.pbworks.com/w/page/67737133/Experimental%20Math%20Music%20Pavillion

4. Cube Village

Cube Village is built by Dutch architect Piet Blom based on the concept of "living as an urban roof": high density housing with sufficient space on the ground level. Blom tilted the cube of a conventional house 45 degrees, and rested it upon a hexagon-shaped pylon. His design represents a village within a city, where each house represents a tree, and all the houses together, a forest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_house

5. Magic Square Cathedral

The Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí is a mathematician’s dream. The cathedral also contains a Magic Square — an arrangement of numbers that equal the same amount in every column, row, and diagonal. The magic number in Sagrada Familia’s case is 33, which alludes to multiple religious symbols. For example, Jesus performed 33 recorded miracles, and most Christians believe he was crucified at 33 years old in 33 A.D.

http://taliscope.com/Sagrada_en.html

 From the ancient time when pyramids and buildings were constructed using geometrical concept and applying engineering, the same is going in modern era. There are several other monuments, buildings in the world which are in shape of mathematical design and that as a mathematics lover we need to explore.

Don't forget to visit
 http://interschoolmathematics.pbworks.com/

where students  have explored mathematics and architect at par under the guidance of Ms. Rashmi Kathuria , a teacher at Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Ashok Vihar

Please wait for my new books that explore the Geometry in Vedic Era where I have tried to look Mathematics through Religious perspectives.

Enjoy exploring mathematics/

Do send me your comments to

Rajesh Kumar Thakur

rkthakur1974@gmail.com