Volume and Surface of a Sphere in an N-Dimensional Euclidean Space

Author(s): Henry Zatzkis

Source: Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Jan. - Feb., 1957), pp. 155-157
Published by: Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3029316
Accessed: 18-06-2016 00:36 UTC

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 156 MATHEMATICS MAGAZINE (Jan. -Feb.

adV fP) = df P (3)

and dfPP)
we obtain

f..f2IVdVN i N f2pdsN dN (4)

VN

or N VN = rSN (5)

From dimensional reasons we can conclude that

VN_ aN rN (6)

and SN = bN rN - (7)

From equation (5) follows

b N aN (8)
We have, therefore, to determine the constants . We imagine the
sphere VN intersected by a plane at a distance z from the origin
(i. e. - r < z ? r). The intersection is a sphere VN, I of radius
(r2 _ z2)/2. Introducing the polar angle 0 (O < 0 < 7), defined by
the equation z
cos 0 = - (9)

it follows that the volume of the sphere VN,1 is given by

VN 1 =aN (r sin0)N (110)

The sphere V (r) can be built up by "disks" of crossection VNl(r sinr0)

and thickness dz.
rz=r
Hence VN NrN VN. 1 ( r sin 0) dz
N~~~z N r

N|1 r -1 ( (sin 0))N-r sin 0 dO = 2N-lr (sil 0) dO

2arN (11) +
= 2 at o. t fV7TuNs 21
rv 2/
We thus obtain the recursion fonnulas

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 1957) N-DIMENSIONAL EUCLIDEAN SPACE 157

/FN + 1 a
N ~ r N- 2 NX

(12)
F 2)
a3 a~~~~~~~
=7 7T - a2
F(5/2)
Multiplying all the terms on the left hand side of equation (12) and
equating them to the product of all the terms on the right hand side
of the same equation the following relation (after some cancellations)
is obtained:

a N= () a2 (13)
N lN + 28 3
r\ 2
But a2 = 7T, and therefore

(Vr'-F )N
aN = (14)
NN+2

and bN = + 2d

lhus the desired formulas are:

rN 2 - W= (2, 3,4, . .
_Ng4

(177)N

VN = )2 ,N (15)

and SN At)T N r (16)

From these formulas the curious result follows that the volume
and surface of a sphere of fixed radius r approach zero as the number
of dimensions approaches infinity.

Newark College of Engineering

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