THE FOURTH DIMENSION SIMPLY EXPLAINED

78

Page 153 eyes are constrained to look upon the opposite wall of the cavern forever. Thus, they never see anything except their own shadows, together with the shadows of whatever objects may come in contact with them. In time, they come to refer all their experiences to their shadows. And, finally, they identify themselves with their shadows.

By conceiving a possible state in which man is limited by his consciousness to less than what he really is, Plato cleared the way for the notion that the normal man is likewise limited by his consciousness to less than what he really is. This Greater, which Plato strove to find, is thought by some to involve the fourth dimension.

[1] See foot-note, page 30 [2] See foot-note, page 142. Page 154

XIII. THE FOURTH DIMENSION THE PLAYGROUND OF MATHEMATICS. BY "GATH' (ARTHUR R. CRATHORNE, CHAMPAIGN, ILL.).
The fourth dimension has been aptly termed the playground of mathematics. It has certainly called forth much speculation and a great deal of discussion which should not be taken too seriously. To understand the term "fourth dimension," it is necessary to know something of its origin and of the train of thought which led up to it. If we mark some point on a straight line or on a curve, any other point on it is located by giving one number, its distance from the fixed point. Such a line or curve is called a one-dimensional body, and a given number will locate some point on it. A point may be located on the earth's surface by giving two numbers, the latitude and the longitude. If the streets of a city are numbered, any house may be located by the two numbers which give the house and street. In general, any point on a plane may be located by giving the two distances from two intersecting reference lines. A similar statement may be made for a curved surface. We call such a plane or surface a two-dimensional body, and two numbers will locate a point on it. The position of an anchored balloon or the bottom of a mine shaft is determined by three numbers: the latitude, longitude, and the vertical distance up or
Page 155 down. A point inside a cube may be located by giving the three distances from the three faces which meet at one corner. Any point in a solid, or more generally any point in space, may be located by three numbers, and conversely any three numbers will locate a point in space. We say then that space is three-dimensional.

Here an inquiring student asked, "Why stop here? Are there points which require four numbers for their representation?" Or the student may be led up to the question in another way. A onedimensional body, a line or curve, may be the boundary of a two-dimensional body. The

Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com