Mathematics and the Construction of Pyramids in Egypt

This research reviews the application of mathematics by the ancient Egyptians in the construction of pyramids. This research focuses on two issues. The first issue involves the mathematical principles that, of necessity, were applied in the construction of the pyramids. The second issue concerns the contention by some people that alien civilizations from outer space were the source of mathematical knowledge required for the construction of the pyramids in Egypt, as the Egyptians of that era had not developed the knowledge of mathematics required for such an undertaking.

A pyramid is a polyhedron whose base is a polygon and whose sides are triangles having a common vertex. The pyramids at Giza outside of Cairo are illustrated below in Exhibit 1.

The base of Great Pyramid at Giza is approximately 227 meters square, accurate to within 20 centimeters on each side. The original height of the pyramid, 150 meters, approximates 140 meters today because of the disintegration or removal of part of the top. The four sides of the pyramid are aligned to the four cardinal points, with its least accurate side, the east, diverging by only 5'30" from true north-south.

The base of the Great Pyramid covers an area of 13.1 acres. The sides of the pyramid slope at an average angle of 51'55".

The accuracy in the construction of the pyramids in ancient Eg

. . .
Sets of (a,b,c) where all three lengths are integers are called Pythagorean Triples. Pythagoras lived much later than the time of the pharaohs. The ancient Egyptians, however, understood how to apply the concept of the right triangle in the construction of the pyramids through practical means, even if they had not developed the algebraic and trigonometric theory to support such applications. The Egyptians in the era of ancient pyramid construction also applied mathematical techniques in such a way that the concept of Pi is active in the design of the pyramids. Pi refers to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, where the circumference is equal to Pi (which has a value of 3.1559265) times the radius of the circle squared. Taking the Great Pyramid at Giza as an example, the original height of the pyramid may be assumed to be a measure of the radius of a circle around the polyhedron. Using the dimensions of the pyramid and solving the equation for Pi, as opposed to solving the equation for the circumference, yields a value of 3.14. Thus, whether or not the ancient Egyptians were aware that the mathematical concept of Pi was structured into the pyramid design, the outcome demonstrated that it was. In Exh
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Pyramid Giza, Tompkins Stecchini, Papyrus Gillings, Source Hofmann, Triples Pythagoras, PYRAMIDS EGYPT, Egypt Egyptians, Retrieved Internet, Robins Shute, ancient egyptians, construction pyramids, Books Williams, base pyramid, retrieved internet 2000-12-20, williams 1995, direction north, radius circle, pyramid giza, retrieved internet, internet 2000-12-20, cardinal direction, cardinal direction north, robins shute 1987, oriented west intended, egyptians pyramid construction,
Approximate Word count = 1225
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Mathematics and the Construction of Pyramids in Egypt