From the simplest observations in nature to detailed measuring of intricate forms, we find geometry everywhere in the world around us.In this magnificent book, John Blackwood explores different kinds of symmetry in the diverse realms of nature. He considers the fundamental forms of minerals, plants, animals and humans, before going on to look at spirals, vortices, buds and other complex shapes. Using projective geometry as a basis, he shows how many forms in nature are generated by the same basic geometrical process, but significant disparities lead to the wondrous variety found in our universe.Fully illustrated with over 500 photographs, drawings and diagrams, this is both a beautiful and inspirational book.
Written in a style that is accessible to a wide audience, The Fractal Geometry of Nature inspired popular interest in this emerging field. Mandelbrot's unique style, and rich illustrations will inspire readers of all backgrounds.
This book returns geometry to its natural habitats: the arts, nature and technology. Throughout the book, geometry comes alive as a tool to unlock the understanding of our world. Assuming only familiarity with high school mathematics, the book invites the reader to discover geometry through examples from biology, astronomy, architecture, design, photography, drawing, engineering and more. Lavishly illustrated with over 1200 figures, all of the geometric results are carefully derived from scratch, with topics from differential, projective and non-Euclidean geometry, as well as kinematics, introduced as the need arises. The mathematical results contained in the book range from very basic facts to recent results, and mathematical proofs are included although not necessary for comprehension. With its wide range of geometric applications, this self-contained volume demonstrates the ubiquity of geometry in our world, and may serve as a source of inspiration for architects, artists, designers, engineers, and natural scientists. This new edition has been completely revised and updated, with new topics and many new illustrations.
A fully illustrated inspirational art book from visionary painter Francene Hart • Includes more than 80 full-color reproductions of Hart’s intricate watercolor paintings and the stories behind them • Recounts the evolution of her art and her discovery of the hidden order of Nature that led to her masterful artistic integrations of Nature, Spirit, and Sacred Geometry • Explores how to tap into the energies provided by spirit guides and power animals, like Jaguar, Raven, Octopus, and Dolphin, and harness the intelligence of the heart for creative inspiration and vision Every one of us possesses the potential to receive visionary experiences and integrate them into our lives. Artists become visionaries by cultivating their instinctive creative spark and sharing their profound visions with the world. In this lavishly illustrated memoir, including more than 80 full-color reproductions of her intricate watercolor paintings and the stories behind them, Francene Hart recounts the evolution of her art from formative influences to her masterful integrations of Nature, Spirit, and Sacred Geometry. Opening with her early work on mandalas and her explorations of the work of Joseph Campbell and C. G. Jung, Hart explains how her first works of art were in response to the solitary life she led in the forest, where she discovered the hidden order of Nature. She reveals how she learned to center her artistic explorations on the intelligence of the heart rather than the intellect, utilizing the wisdom and imagery of Sacred Geometry, reverence for the natural environment, and the interconnectedness between all things as her inspirations. She describes the shamanic lessons that accompanied her discoveries and shaped her understanding of sacred relationships with the self, others, and Mother Earth. She explores how to tap into the energies provided by spirit guides and power animals, like Jaguar, Raven, Octopus, and Dolphin, and explains her profound affinity for the ocean, including her discovery of water consciousness in Hawaii. Offering chronicles of her inspiring travels and transformational encounters around the world, Hart shares her experiences at sacred sites in the Amazon, Central America, Egypt, England, Scotland, Paris, Cambodia, and the Himalayas and how these places influenced her art. Exploring what is revealed as inspiration arises, Spirit informs, and vision is transformed into art, Francene Hart’s journey offers a window into the secret order of Nature, the power of sacred symbols for evolving consciousness, and a visionary artistic path that perfectly blends the mathematical rigors of sacred geometry and the numinous.
Encompassing nature, science, art, architecture, and spirituality, and illustrated with over 700 photographs and line drawings, The Hidden Geometry of Life illuminates the secret underpinnings of existence. In her trademark easy-to-understand style, mathematician Karen French shows how sacred geometry permeates every level of being, manifesting itself in simple shapes and numbers, music and sounds, light and color, even in the mysteries of creation itself. But these geometrical archetypes are more than the building blocks of reality: they are gateways to profound new levels of awareness.
Bestselling author and astrophysicist Mario Livio examines the lives and theories of history’s greatest mathematicians to ask how—if mathematics is an abstract construction of the human mind—it can so perfectly explain the physical world. Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner once wondered about “the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” in the formulation of the laws of nature. Is God a Mathematician? investigates why mathematics is as powerful as it is. From ancient times to the present, scientists and philosophers have marveled at how such a seemingly abstract discipline could so perfectly explain the natural world. More than that—mathematics has often made predictions, for example, about subatomic particles or cosmic phenomena that were unknown at the time, but later were proven to be true. Is mathematics ultimately invented or discovered? If, as Einstein insisted, mathematics is “a product of human thought that is independent of experience,” how can it so accurately describe and even predict the world around us? Physicist and author Mario Livio brilliantly explores mathematical ideas from Pythagoras to the present day as he shows us how intriguing questions and ingenious answers have led to ever deeper insights into our world. This fascinating book will interest anyone curious about the human mind, the scientific world, and the relationship between them.
Classic exploration of topics of perennial interest to geometers: fundamental ideas of incidence, parallelism, perpendicularity, angles between linear spaces, polytopes. Examines analytical geometry from projective and analytic points of view. 1929 edition.
