Description
Book SynopsisIn Pi (π) in Nature, Art, and Culture Marcel Danesi revisits the importance of π as a pattern in the structure of reality, fitting in with the Pythagorean view of Order. Pi has cropped up in formulas that describe natural and physical structures which, on the surface, seem to have nothing to do with a circle, but might harbor the archetype of circularity as a principle. Through π, this book thus revisits the implicit ancient Greek view that geometry was a 'hermeneutic science,' a discipline aiming to investigate the connectivity among numbers, shapes, and natural phenomena. It also examines its manifestations in aesthetic, symbolic and cultural structures, which point to an abiding fascination with the circle as an unconscious archetype. Hermeneutic geometry is ultimately about the exploration of the meanings of geometric-mathematical notions to science and human life.
Trade Review"Het voortreffelijke boek laat alle lezers op fascinerende wijze kennismaken met het wonder van π. Pi, of de verhouding van de omtrek van een cirkel tot de diameter, was een van de eerste irrationele getallen die werden ontdekt." [An exccellent book which introduces the author to the wonders of Pi.] -- Jan M. Broeders, Optische Fenomenen, newsletter 405, March 2021
Table of ContentsPreface 1. Discovery of π and Its Manifestations Prologue Discovery, Calculation, Proof Geometric Archetypes Manifestations of Archetypal Structure Geometry as a Hermeneutic Science Epilogue 2. Pi in Mathematics and the Physical World Prologue Pythagoreanism Uniting Arithmetic and Geometry The Planetary Orbits Natural and Physical Phenomena Topology, Non-Euclidean Geometry, and Fractal Geometry Epilogue 3. Pi in Art and Architecture Prologue Pythagoreanism in Art The Circle in Art and Symbolism Pi in Art Epilogue 4. Pi in Popular Culture Prologue Mathematics in Popular Culture Pi in Popular Culture Pi-Mania Epilogue 5. Order and Chaos Prologue Cohen’s Dilemma Chaos Theory Order and Chaos Epilogue Final Remarks References Index
