A Fuller Explanation

Appendixes

Appendixes

16.1  Appendix A: Trigonometric Calculations

2PIC

3

271∕272

4 PIC

5

272∕273

16.2  Appendix B: Volume Calculations for Three Prime Structural Systems

6PIC

273∕274

7 PIC

274∕275

8 PIC

275∕276

9 PIC

276∕277

16.3  Appendix C: Special Properties of the Tetrahedron

10(1) Minimum system: the tetrahedron is the first case of insideness and outsideness.

11 (2) The regular tetrahedron fits inside the cube, with its edges providing the diagonals across the cube's six faces, and thereby supplying the six supporting struts needed to stabilize the otherwise unstable cube. Furthermore, two intersecting regular tetrahedra outline all eight vertices of the cube.

12 (3) The tetrahedron is unique in being its own dual.

13 (4) The six edges of the regular tetrahedron are parallel to the six intersecting vectors that define the vector equilibrium.

14 (5) Similarly, the four faces of the regular tetrahedron are the same four planes of symmetry inherent in the vector equilibrium and in cubic closepacking of spheres. The tetrahedron is thus at the root of an omnisymmetrical space-filling vector matrix, or isotropic vector matrix.

15 (6) When the volume of a tetrahedron is specified as one unit, other ordered polyhedra are found to have precise whole-number volume ratios, as opposed to the cumbersome and often irrational quantities generated by employing the cube as the unit of volume. Furthermore, the tetrahedron has the most surface area per unit of volume.

16 (7) Of all polyhedra, the tetrahedron has the greatest resistance to an applied load. It is the only system that cannot "dimple"; reacting to an external force, a tetrahedron must either remain unchanged or turn completely "inside out".

17 (8) The surface angles of the tetrahedron add up to 720°, which is the "angular takeout" inherent in all closed systems.

18 (9) The tetrahedron is the starting point, or "whole system", in Fuller's "Cosmic Hierarchy", and as such contains the axes of symmetry that characterize all the polyhedra of the isotropic vector matrix, or face-centered cubic symmetry in crystallography.

19 (10) Packing spheres together requires a minimum of four balls, to produce a stable arrangement, automatically forming a regular tetrahedron. The centers of the four spheres define the tetrahedral vertices. In Fuller's words, "four balls lock".[279/280]

20 (11) It has been demonstrated that many unstable polyhedra can be folded into tetrahedra, as in the jitterbug transformation.

21 (12) Fuller refers to the six edges of a tetrahedron as one "quantum" of structure, because the number of edges in regular, semiregular, and high-frequency geodesic polyhedra is always a multiple of six.[280/281]

16.4  Appendix D: Lists of Illustrations, Photos, Tables

22Illustrations

23 Figure no. page

24 Fig. 2 1 "Triangling" versus "squaring" 23

25 Fig. 2 2 "Cubing" versus "tetrahedroning" 24

26 Fig. 3 3 6 connections between 4 events, defining a tetrahedral system 30

27 Fig. 4 4 3 triangles, 4 triangles around a vertex 42

28 Fig. 4 5 5 triangles around each vertex form an icosahedron 43

29 Fig. 4 6 3 squares around each vertex form a cube 44

30 Fig. 4 7 3 pentagons per vertex form a pentagonal dodecahedron 44

31 Fig. 4 8 3 hexagons around each vertex form a flat honeycomb 45

32 Fig. 4 9 The 5 regular polyhedra 46

33 Fig. 4 10 "Dualing" polyhedra 50

34 Fig. 4 11 Degenerate truncation of a tetrahedron. 51

35 Fig. 4 12 Stellated cube and octahedron. 52

36 Fig. 4 13 Truncation of duals 53

37 Fig. 4 14 Icosidodecahedron. 54

38 Fig. 4 15 Degenerate stellation of cube 55

39 Fig. 4 16 Cuboctahedron and rhombic dodecahedron are dual polyhedra 56

40 Fig. 4 17 Symmetry of icosahedron and of the letters M, S, and R. 57

41 Fig. 5 18 Square necklace, collapsed 60

42 Fig. 5 19 Leverage 61

43 Fig. 5 20 Inscribed tetrahedron stabilizes cube. 65

44 Fig. 5 21 "Dimpling" 69

45 Fig. 5 22 Dimpling: ½ of octahedron caves in to nest inside other half. 69

46 Fig. 6 23 Cartesian vs. spherical coordinates. 79

47 Fig. 6 24 "4D": Tetrahedron / octahedron embody four distinct directions 80

48 Fig. 6 25 A cone: sliced and flattened 83

49 Fig. 6 26 Nets of icosahedron and octahedron 83

50 Fig. 6 27 4-frequency icosahedron 86

51 Fig. 6 28 Angle types 87

52 Fig. 7 29 Stable, metastable, and neutral equilibrium 89

53 Fig. 7 30 Entropy: closed-container experiment 92

54 Fig. 7 31 "Close-packed cookies": triangular vs. square pattern 93

55 Fig. 7 32 In search of equivalent radial and circumferential vectors. 95

56 Fig. 7 33 Vector equilibrium. 97

57 Fig. 7 34 (a) cuboctahedron; (b) twist cuboctahedron. 97

58 Fig. 7 35 Eight radiating tetrahedra alternate with six ½-octahedra. 99

59 Fig. 7 36 Four hexagonal cross-sections of the VE. 101

60 Fig. 7 37 Motion of partially restrained disc in a plane 102

61 Fig. 7 38 Minimum of 12 spokes needed for stability 103

62 Fig. 7 39 Ball restrained in space 105

63 Fig. 8 40 Closepacked spheres form array of equally spaced points in space 109

64 Fig. 8 41 Closepacking of three pennies 111

65 Fig. 8 42 Six spheres closepacked around one 111

66 Fig. 8 43 Cubic packing (top) versus hexagonal packing (bottom) 112

67 Fig. 8 44 Hexagonal (left) vs cubic (right): spheres 12-around-1 113

68 Fig. 8 45 Five oranges stacked to form ½-octahedron. 115

69 Fig. 8 46 Tetrahedral and octahedral closest sphere packing clusters. 116

70 Fig. 8 47 Triangular numbers. 117

71 Fig. 8 48 "Four balls lock" 119

72 Fig. 8 49 Frequency in closepacking of spheres 120

73 Fig. 8 50 Tetrahedral frequency (v) progression: 1v, 2v, 3v 121

74 Fig. 8 51 "Yes-no-no-yes-no-no" –nest layers 122

75 Fig. 8 52 Vector equilibrium progression: 1v, 2v, 3v 123

76 Fig. 8 53 Removing nuclear sphere from 1-frequency VE creates icosahedron 126

77 Fig. 8 54 Square pattern of spheres compressed into rhomboid shape 127

78 Fig. 8 55 Pyramids formed by triangular-number layers + one ball in central nest 130

79 Fig. 8 56 Interprecessing: two closepacked pairs of spheres creates a tetrahedron 131

80 Fig. 8 57 Tetrahedron as chef's hats 132

81 Fig. 8 58 Chef's hats back to tetrahedron 132

82 Fig. 8 59 Two 1/8-octahedra create minimum stable cube 133

83 Fig. 9 60 Unit-vector matrix within closepacked sphere cluster 135

84 Fig. 9 61 Alternating tetrahedra and octahedra 136

85 Fig. 9 62 Isotropic vector matrix and Octet Truss 137

86 Fig. 9 63 Octahedral cavities between adjacent VEs 138

87 Fig. 9 64 60° framework vs 90° framework 139

88 Fig. 9 65 Tetrahedra and octahedra team up to fill space 140

89 Fig. 9 66 Octahedral "egg-crate" 142

90 Fig. 9 67 Oct / Tet supplementary angles 143

91 Fig. 9 68 3-frequency (3v) truncations 144

92 Fig. 9 69 Central nodes of tetrahedron and octahedron. 145

93 Fig. 9 70 Relationship of cube and IVM. 146

94 Fig. 9 71 Degenerate stellation of the octahedron 147

95 Fig. 10 72 Self-similarity in subdivision of triangles and tetrahedra. 155

96 Fig. 10 73 2-frequency (2v) cube consists of 8 unit cubes 156

97 Fig. 10 74 2-frequency (2v) tetrahedron has altitude of 2 tetrahedra 157

98 Fig. 10 75 "Unwrap" a hidden central octahedron 160

99 Fig. 10 76 Derivation of an octant: 1/8-octahedron. 161

100 Fig. 10 77 One octant altitude is equal to ½ the altitude of the tetrahedron 161

101 Fig. 10 78 Four octants added to one tetrahedron produce one cube 162

102 Fig. 10 79 Subdivision of tetrahedron into 4 shallow pyramids 163

103 Fig. 10 80 2v tetrahedron with octahedron core 165

104 Fig. 10 81 2v octahedron with cubocahedron (VE) core 166

105 Fig. 10 82 Hierarchical nest within 4v tetrahedron 167

106 Fig. 11 83 "Jitterbug" transformation of VE 171

107 Fig. 11 84 Further jitterbugging. 173

108 Fig. 11 85 Octahedron within icosahedron 177

109 Fig. 11 86 Icosahedron within octahedron 177

110 Fig. 11 87 S module. 179

111 Fig. 11 88 Golden- ratio relationship: Icosa / Rhombic dodecahedron 180

112 Fig. 11 89 Four independent axes of rotation 181

113 Fig. 11 90 Tetrahedra "bonding" models of phases of matter 185

114 Fig. 12 91 Plane tesselations: Regular and semiregular tilings of the plane. 188

115 Fig. 12 92 Octahedron at junction of 8 cubes 190

116 Fig. 12 93 Space-filling rhombic dodecahedron via degenerate stellation of cube 194

117 Fig. 12 94 Space-filling tetrakaidecahedron by truncating 3v octahedron 196

118 Fig. 12 96 Volume cross-sections of 4v tetrahedron 200

119 Fig. 13 97 Development of A module. 203

120 Fig. 13 98 Modules for intertransformability 204

121 Fig. 13 99 Planar nets 207

122 Fig. 13 100 LCD of IVM: "Mite" 209

123 Fig. 13 102 The LCD of both cube and rhombic dodecahedron is the Mite. 212

124 Fig. 13 103 Each Mite is one octant of the coupler. 213

125 Fig. 13 104 "Coupler" 214

126 Fig. 13 105 Different rearrangements of 8 Mites in the coupler 216

127 Fig. 14 106 A lesser-circle path is always the long way around 219

128 Fig. 14 107 Spherical polyhedra 221

129 Fig. 14 108 Different sets of axes of symmetry 223

130 Fig. 14 109 The 6 great circles of the octahedron 224

131 Fig. 14 110 The 4 great-circle edges of the VE 224

132 Fig. 14 111 The 25 great circles of the VE 225

133 Fig. 14 112 The 6 great circles of the icosahedron 226

134 Fig. 14 113 The 31 great circles of the icosahedron 227

135 Fig. 14 114 Maximum of 120 equivalent domains: LCD 228

136 Fig. 14 115 LCD unit 229

137 Fig. 14 116 Revealed in the 31-great-circle pattern 230

138 Fig. 14 117 Revealed in 25 great-circle pattern 232

139 Fig. 14 118 Making bowties: relating central and surface angles 233

140 Fig. 14 119 4 bowties create the 4 great circles of the VE 234

141 Fig. 14 120 Reflective bounces in local holding-pattern figure-8 loop 236

142 Fig. 14 121 6 bowties create the 6 great circles of the cube or octahedron 237

143 Fig. 14 122 The 3-great-circle model requires 6 foldable circles 238

144 Fig. 14 123 6 pentagonal bowties create the 6 great circles of the icosahedron 239

145 Fig. 14 124 15-great-circle model, created by doubling the edges 240

146 Fig. 15 125 Reed sphere of six interwoven great circles 247

147 Fig. 15 126 31-great circle subdivision of icosahedron LCD 248

148 Fig. 15 127 4-frequency (4v) triangles superimposed on icosahedron 249

149 Fig. 15 128 Transformation from planar to spherical 251

150 Fig. 15 129 4v icosahedron: transformation of Fig. 15-3 251

151 Fig. 15 130 5/8 truncation of 4v icosa—as basis of geodesic dome. 255

152 Fig. 15 131 Geodesic pattern possibilities 256

153 Fig. 15 132 LCD in higher frequencies 257

154 Fig. 15 133 Compression: neutral axis, girth, and spherical limit case 262

155 Fig. 15 134 Wheel with compression spokes 265

156 Fig. 15 135 Tensegrity icosahedron and its Platonic (planar) counterpart. 269

157 Fig. 16 136 DymaxionTM Map 281

158 Fig. 16 137 Hanging bookshelf, U.S. Patent 4,377,114 (1983). 282

159 Photos

160 Photo no. page

161 Photo 11 1 Complex of jitterbugs 182

162 Photo 15 2 Tensegrity icosahedron and tensegrity tetrahedron. 267

163 Photo 15 3 3v tensegrity icosahedron with 90 struts. 268

164 Photo 15 4 Six-strut "expanded octahedron" tensegrity. 270

165 Tables

166 Table no. page

167 Table 4 1 Euler's Law (V + F = E + 2) 47

168 Table 5 2 "Structural quanta":
volume per edge for the 3 prime structural systems. 67

169 Table 6 3 "Structural quanta":
polyhedra edges in even multiples of the tetrahedron's 6 85

170 Table 7 4 VE: equal radial and circumferential vectors and angles 98

171 Table 10 5 Volume Ratios 153

172 Table 12 6 Octahedron-tetrahedron ratio in space filling 197