Fractiles’ Mandala, Based on Angles of Pi/7 Radians

fractiles7withblackbackground

Although this was based on something I constructed using the Fractiles-7 magnetic tiling toy, I did not have enough magnetic pieces to finish this. The idea was, therefore, converted into a (non-Euclidean) construction using Geometer’s Sketchpad, and then refined using MS-Paint. The reason I describe this as a non-Euclidean construction is that an angle of pi/7 radians, such as the acute angles in the red rhombi, cannot be constructed using compass and unmarked straight edge: antiquity’s Euclidean tools. The other angles used are whole-number multiples of pi/7 radians, up to and including 6pi/7 radians for the obtuse angles of the red rhombi.

The yellow rhombi have angles measuring 2pi/7 and 5pi/7 radians, while the blue rhombi’s angles measures 3pi/7 and 4pi/7 radians. None of these angles have degree measures which are whole numbers. It is no coincidence that 7 is not found among the numerous factors of 360. It is, in fact, the smallest whole number for which this is true.

I have a conjecture that this aperiodic radial tiling-pattern could be continued, using these same three rhombi, indefinitely, but this has not yet been tested beyond the point shown.

Dodecahedron with Mandalas

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Dodecahedron with Mandalas

This rotating image took three different programs to create. First, I made the mandala (seen in the previous post) using Geometer’s Sketchpad. Next, I used MS-Paint to complete the colorization of it. Finally, I used Stella 4d (see http://www.software3d.com/stella.php if you’d like to try or buy it) to put this mandala on each face of a dodecahedron, and then create the rotating .gif you see here.

I find both Stella 4d and Geometer’s Sketchpad to be indispensable tools for mathematical investigations and the creation of geometrical art, and highly recommend both programs.