The Boerdijk-Coxeter Helix and the

Qi Men Dun Jia Model

By John Frederick Sweeney

Abstract

The final element of the Qi Men Dun Jia Model is the Boerdijk-Coxeter
Helix, since this brings matter up to the level of DNA strings or
lattices. Composed of Octonions, Twisted Octonions and Sedenions,
the author examines the Boerdijk-Coxeter Helix from various
perspectives to illustrate how BC – Helices play an important role in
the formation of matter.

1
Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Octonions / Twisted Octonions and Sedenions

Wikipedia 8

Octahedron / Wolfram 12

R. Buckminster Fuller 14

R. Gray 22

Conclusion 60

Eccentricities of the BC – Helix 65

The Richter Transformation 67

Applications 72

Bibliography 76

Appendix 78

2
Introduction

The Qi Men Dun Jia Model has been described in this series of papers
published on Vixra, and at this point the author has shown that all
matter begins in the invisible substratum of "black hole" material at
the natural logarithm of e, (2.718) from whence it rises through the
substratum via a combinatorial process of beats or counts, perhaps
similar to the number of breaths a human takes per minute, for
example.

When approaching the border with visible matter, the new-forming

matter takes on a spherical form and can be measured with the use
of Pi. The newly - forming matter will take on the characteristics of 8
x 8 stable Satva matter, or the 9 x 9 character of the more dynamic
Raja matter.

Upon passing the threshold of visible matter, a series of structures

await the newly - emergent matter, starting with a 3 x 3 Magic
Square, of the Luo Shu, or He Tu (Book of Luo, River Diagram)
varieties or in a related order. The Magic Square functions to provide
the "ribbon," in terms of Buckminster Fuller, which will ultimately bind
the tetrahedra at the opposite end of the series of structures.

One possibility remains, in addition to the Magic Square, of Magic

Cayley Graphs, and the author shall explore this topic in a future
paper.

3
Magic Squares / Wikipedia
It is possible to construct a normal magic square of any size except 2 x 2 (that is, where n = 2),
although the solution to a magic square where n = 1 is trivial, since it consists simply of a single cell
containing the number 1. The smallest nontrivial case, shown below, is a 3 x 3 grid (that is, a magic
square of order 3).

The constant that is the sum of every row, column and diagonal is called the magic constant or magic
sum, M. Every normal magic square has a unique constant determined solely by the value of n.

Lo Shu square (3×3 magic square)

Main article: Lo Shu Square
Chinese literature dating from as early as 650 BCE tells the legend of Lo Shu or "scroll of the river
Lo".[2] According to the legend, there was at one time in ancient China a huge flood. While the great
king Yu (禹) was trying to channel the water out to sea, a turtle emerged from it with a curious figure /
pattern on its shell: a 3x3 grid in which circular dots of numbers were arranged, such that the sum of
the numbers in each row, column and diagonal was the same: 15, which is also the number of days in
each of the 24 cycles of the Chinese solar year. According to the legend, thereafter people were able to
use this pattern in a certain way to control the river and protect themselves from floods.
4 9 2
3 5 7
8 1 6
The Lo Shu Square, as the magic square on the turtle shell is called, is the unique normal magic square
of order three in which 1 is at the bottom and 2 is in the upper right corner. Every normal magic square
of order three is obtained from the Lo Shu by rotation or reflection.
The Square of Lo Shu is also referred to as the Magic Square of Saturn.

Forming a circle around the center of the Magic Square lies the
Spinorial Clock or the Clifford Clock, comprised of the real, complex
numbers and Quarternions. The Clifford Clock lies embedded in the
Clock of Complex Spaces, while forgetful functors circulate in the
anti-clockwise direction, limiting the function of the higher numbers.

Forgetful functors: The functor U : Grp → Set which maps a group to its underlying set
and a group homomorphism to its underlying function of sets is a functor.[7] Functors like
these, which "forget" some structure, are termed forgetful functors. Another example is
the functor Rng → Ab which maps a ring to its underlying additive abelian group.
Morphisms in Rng (ring homomorphisms) become morphisms in Ab (abelian group
homomorphisms). (See Appendix IV for details on forgetful functors).

4
As the sphere of matter emerges into the realm of visible matter, it
takes on certain characteristics based on the current arrangement of
numbers in the Magic Square as well as the arrangement of Clifford
Algebras in the Clifford Clock, with minor aspects imprinted from the
Five Element aspects of each Clifford Algebra and its complex space.
The characteristics imprinted from the Magic Square program the
particle wave which determines the winding of the “ribbon” (in
Buckminster Fuller’s term) that connects to the Tetrahelix, with its
icosahedral and tetrahedral elements.

Of the eight figures putatively rotating about the face of the Clifford
Clock, one of them always turns up missing, which leaves the actual
count of numbers at seven – the number of Octonions in the Fano
Plane. In a later paper the author will describe the related aspects of
the Qi Men Dun Jia Cosmic Board, suffice it here to state that there
may exist as many as seven additional dimensions associated with
the Clifford Algebras, each of which possesses unique Five Element
associations, and which add additional qualities to each Clifford
Algebra’s informational content.

Next, the mole of matter receives imprint from a rotating set of 60

Stellated Icosahedra, in the form of double icosahedra, which provide
information in terms of frequency and Time. The double icosahedra
represent the 60 Na Yin and 60 Jia Zi of Chinese metaphysics, which
is a Base 60 cycle and have Period 60, given Pisano Periodicity.
Pisano Periodicity limits the number of permutations in nature to 60.

In relation to Pisano Periodicity, Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden

Ratio enter the process of material formation, along with a series of
Platonic Solids, from the Triangle and Square to the Icosahedron and
Dodecahedron. The latter two play critical roles in the formation of
matter, especially that of DNA strands. The author speculates here
that the role of the Golden Ratio in the Qi Men Dun Jia Model is to
separate matter in the 8 x 8 Satva State from matter in the 9 x 9 Raja
State. In the discussion of the Boerdijk-Coxeter Helix, where both
states form part of the structure.

The next essential structure of the Qi Men Dun Jia Model is the
Poincare Dodecahedral Space, which the author described in detail in
an earlier paper in this series. Then, associated with the Poincare

5
Dodecahedral Space is the Hopf Fibration, some 15 copies of which
float about the structure of the Boerdijk-Coxeter Helix, apparently
helping to rotate the helix.

In fact, the literature on the Hopf Fibration is quite confusing, some

of which leads the author to consider the Hopf Fibration as a micro
element of the Qi Men Dun Jia Model, and some articles which
suggest the opposite. It is the author’s intention that the logic of the
Qi Men Dun Jia Model will help to solve this dilemma.

With regard to the Boerdijk – Coxeter Helix, only a minimum amount

of research has been done, given the extreme importance of the
structure in the formation of matter. Worse, the helix goes under
different names in different disciplines, as R. Buckminster Fuller
referred to this as the Tetrahelix, while physicists refer to the same
structure as the Bernal Spiral.

In fact, the BC – Helix appears as one among a group of similar

structures which appear across disciplines and have a variety of uses.
Given the isolation of one academic discipline to another, it appears
that the BC – Helix crosses these artificial boundaries and wears
many faces.

Insofar as the Qi Men Dun Jia Model is concerned, it appears that

matter, once having passed through the Poincare Dodecahedral
Space, may pass through either the BC – Helix or the Polytope
(3,3,5), while there may exist additional similar structures. The
Polytope (3,3,5) appears to produce matter of the 9 x 9 Raja state,
while the BC – Helix appears to produce both Satva 8 x 8 and 9 x 9
Raja states of matter, interwoven upon the same structure. Other
candidates include the y-brass and the bcc, which the author will
explore in future papers.

This paper attempts to assemble and display the known, relevant

information concerning the Boerdijk – Coxeter Helix for the purpose
of conducting an autopsy – analysis, to illuminate and elucidate its
parts, to demonstrate its workings and to show how it fits into the
QMDJ Model.

6
Sedenions, Twisted Octonions and
Octonions

Sir Roger Penrose has described them as “the lost cause” of physics,
but the Octonions enter the structure of the Qi Men Dun Jia Model at
this point, along with the Twisted Octonions and the Sedenions. At
the same time, the model moves from Binary or Yin – Yang numbers
towards ternary quadratic equations, since it proves necessary to
engage the function of triples in the transition from Octonions to
Sedenions.

From the work of Sultan Catto and Donald Chesley, we learn about
the subtleties of the Octonion – Sedenion connection:

Preliminary Classification of Sedenion Types

Testing each of the 235 values of signmask in the XOR-based multiplication tables and
analyzing the associators (eiej)ek - ei(ejek) shows that there are 9 broad classes of
sedenions, classified by the nature of the heptads: of the 15 heptads, anywhere from 0 to 8
are true octonions, with the balance being twisted. Below, counts[N] shows how many
signmask values give N true octonionic heptads in the corresponding multiplication table:

counts[0] = 4699455488
counts[1] = 9688596480
counts[2] = 10254827520
counts[3] = 6041190400
counts[4] = 2582200320
counts[5] = 817152000
counts[6] = 248299520
counts[7] = 25804800
counts[8] = 2211840
counts[9] = 0

Adding these up gives 235, establishing the fact that (at least for representations derived
via permutation from the XOR-based multiplication tables) all sedenion types must
include at least 7 twisted octonion subalgebras.

7
2.2 Refinements in Classification
When embedded in the sedenions, heptads have more subtle properties than simply
whether they are twisted or not, and a more refined classification of the sedenion types
must take this into account. Each twisted heptad has a distinguished triad, and that triad
occurs in 2 other heptads as well, which might be untwisted, or twisted with a different
distinguished triad, or twisted with the same distinguished triad. Any heptad has 7 triads -
how many of them are distinguished in some other heptad? A partial analysis based on
these questions has so far revealed more than 52 types of sedenions. Several different
types will emerge in constructions presented below. Moreover, any quaternionic
groupings not based on permutations of XOR indices would (if they exist) add whole new
families of sedenion types to the classification scheme. Although classification is still an
ongoing process and the inventory is far from complete, enough is known to inform
observations on properties like zero divisors, etc. in the following sections.

2.3 Zero Divisors in Sedenions

Since all sedenion multiplication tables contain at least some twisted octonion
multiplication tables embedded in them, there are at least the zero divisors already
described for the twisted octonions. Moreover, sharing of distinguished triads can induce
complicated interactions among the sets of zero divisors induced by different heptads. A
general survey awaits completion of the classification scheme sketched above.

23 144: (ac - bd*, ad + c*b)

Twisted octonions XOR/10
e0 e1 e2 e3 e4 e5 e6 e7
e0 e0 e1 e2 e3 e4 e5 e6 e7
e1 e1 -e0 e3 -e2 e5 -e4 e7 -e6
e2 e2 -e3 -e0 e1 e6 -e7 -e4 e5
e3 e3 e2 -e1 -e0 e7 e6 -e5 -e4
e4 e4 -e5 -e6 -e7 -e0 e1 e2 e3
e5 e5 e4 e7 -e6 -e1 -e0 e3 -e2
e6 e6 -e7 e4 e5 -e2 -e3 -e0 e1
e7 e7 e6 -e5 e4 -e3 e2 -e1 -e0

8
Wikipedia

The Boerdijk–Coxeter helix, named after H. S. M. Coxeter and A.

H. Boerdijk, is a linear stacking of regular tetrahedra, arranged so
that the edges of the complex that belong to a single tetrahedron
form three intertwined helices. There are two chiral forms, with either
clockwise or counterclockwise windings. Contrary to any other
stacking of Platonic solids, the Boerdijk–Coxeter helix is not
rotationally repetitive. Even in an infinite string of stacked tetrahedra,
no two tetrahedra will have the same orientation. This is because the
helical pitch per cell is not a rational fraction of the circle.
Buckminster Fuller named it a tetrahelix and considered them with
regular and irregular tetrahedral elements.[1]

Higher dimensional geometry

The 600-cell partitions into 20 rings of 30 tetrahedra, each a
Boerdijk–Coxeter helix. When superimposed onto the 3-sphere
curvature it becomes periodic, with a period of ten vertices,
encompassing all 30 cells. The collective of such helices in the 600-
cell represent a discrete Hopf fibration. While in 3 dimensions the
edges are helices, in the imposed 3-sphere topology they are
geodesics and have no torsion. They spiral around each other
naturally due to the Hopf fibration.

9
Octahedron / Wolfram

Octahedron

An octahedron is a polyhedron having eight faces. Examples include the

augmented triangular prism (Johnson solid ), boat, gyrobifastigium
(Johnson solid ), heptagonal pyramid, hexagonal prism, (regular)
octahedron, square dipyramid, triangular cupola (Johnson solid ),
tridiminished icosahedron (Johnson solid ), and truncated
tetrahedron.

There are 257 convex octahedra, corresponding to the duals of the

octahedral graphs. The convex octahedra consisting of regular polygonal
faces of equal edge lengths are summarized in the following table. They
all have , as required by the polyhedral formula.

polyhedron degree sequence

truncated tetrahedron 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 12 18
heptagonal pyramid 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 7 8 14
triangular cupola 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 9 15
tridiminished icosahedron 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 9 15
gyrobifastigium 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4 8 14
augmented triangular prism 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 7 13
octahedron 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 6 12

10
The regular octahedron is the Platonic solid with six polyhedron
vertices, 12 polyhedron edges, and eight equivalent equilateral
triangular faces, denoted . It is also uniform polyhedron and
Wenninger model . It is given by the Schläfli symbol and Wythoff
symbol . The octahedron of unit side length is the antiprism of
sides with height . The octahedron is also a square dipyramid
with equal edge lengths.

There are 11 distinct nets for the octahedron, the same as for the cube
(Buekenhout and Parker 1998). Questions of polyhedron coloring of the
octahedron can be addressed using the Pólya enumeration theorem.

The dual polyhedron of an octahedron with unit edge lengths is a cube

with edge lengths .

11
The illustration above shows an origami octahedron constructed from a
single sheet of paper (Kasahara and Takahama 1987, pp. 60-61).

Like the cube, it has the octahedral group of symmetries.

The connectivity of the vertices is given by the octahedral graph.

12
Wikipedia

In geometry, an octahedron (plural: octahedra) is a polyhedron with

eight faces. A regular octahedron is a Platonic solid composed of eight
equilateral triangles, four of which meet at each vertex.

An octahedron is the three-dimensional case of the more general concept

of a cross polytope.

Dimensions

If the edge length of a regular octahedron is a, the radius of a

circumscribed sphere (one that touches the octahedron at all vertices)
is

and the radius of an inscribed sphere (tangent to each of the

octahedron's faces) is

while the midradius, which touches the middle of each edge, is

Orthogonal projections

The octahedron has four special orthogonal projections, centered, on an

edge, vertex, face, and normal to a face. The second and third
correspond to the B2 and A2 Coxeter planes.

13
 Orthogonal projections
Centered Face
Edge Vertex Face
by Normal

Image

Projective
[2] [2] [4] [6]
symmetry

Cartesian coordinates

An octahedron with edge length sqrt(2) can be placed with its center at
the origin and its vertices on the coordinate axes; the Cartesian
coordinates of the vertices are then

( ±1, 0, 0 );
( 0, ±1, 0 );
( 0, 0, ±1 ).

In an x–y–z Cartesian coordinate system, the octahedron with center

coordinates (a, b, c) and radius r is the set of all points (x, y, z)
such that

Area and volume

The surface area A and the volume V of a regular octahedron of edge

length a are:

Thus the volume is four times that of a regular tetrahedron with the
same edge length, while the surface area is twice (because we have 8 vs.
4 triangles).

14
If an octahedron has been stretched so that it obeys the equation:

The formula for the surface area and volume expand to become:

Additionally the inertia tensor of the stretched octahedron is:

These reduce to the equations for the regular octahedron when:

Geometric relations

The octahedron represents the central intersection of two tetrahedra

The interior of the compound of two dual tetrahedra is an octahedron,

and this compound, called the stella octangula, is its first and only
stellation. Correspondingly, a regular octahedron is the result of

15
cutting off from a regular tetrahedron, four regular tetrahedra of half
the linear size (i.e. rectifying the tetrahedron). The vertices of the
octahedron lie at the midpoints of the edges of the tetrahedron, and in
this sense it relates to the tetrahedron in the same way that the
cuboctahedron and icosidodecahedron relate to the other Platonic solids.
One can also divide the edges of an octahedron in the ratio of the
golden mean to define the vertices of an icosahedron. This is done by
first placing vectors along the octahedron's edges such that each face
is bounded by a cycle, then similarly partitioning each edge into the
golden mean along the direction of its vector. There are five octahedra
that define any given icosahedron in this fashion, and together they
define a regular compound.

Octahedra and tetrahedra can be alternated to form a vertex, edge, and

face-uniform tessellation of space, called the octet truss by
Buckminster Fuller. This is the only such tiling save the regular
tessellation of cubes, and is one of the 28 convex uniform honeycombs.
Another is a tessellation of octahedra and cuboctahedra.

The octahedron is unique among the Platonic solids in having an even

number of faces meeting at each vertex. Consequently, it is the only
member of that group to possess mirror planes that do not pass through
any of the faces.

Using the standard nomenclature for Johnson solids, an octahedron would

be called a square bipyramid. Truncation of two opposite vertices
results in a square bifrustum.

The octahedron is 4-connected, meaning that it takes the removal of four

vertices to disconnect the remaining vertices. It is one of only four 4-
connected simplicial well-covered polyhedra, meaning that all of the
maximal independent sets of its vertices have the same size. The other
three polyhedra with this property are the pentagonal dipyramid, the
snub disphenoid, and an irregular polyhedron with 12 vertices and 20
triangular faces.[1]

Uniform colorings and symmetry

There are 3 uniform colorings of the octahedron, named by the triangular

face colors going around each vertex: 1212, 1112, 1111.

16
The octahedron's symmetry group is Oh, of order 48, the three
dimensional hyperoctahedral group. This group's subgroups include D3d
(order 12), the symmetry group of a triangular antiprism; D4h (order
16), the symmetry group of a square bipyramid; and Td (order 24), the
symmetry group of a rectified tetrahedron. These symmetries can be
emphasized by different colorings of the faces.

Irregular octahedra

The following polyhedra are combinatorially equivalent to the regular

polyhedron. They all have six vertices, eight triangular faces, and
twelve edges that correspond one-for-one with the features of a regular
octahedron.

• Triangular antiprisms: Two faces are equilateral, lie on parallel planes, and have a
common axis of symmetry. The other six triangles are isosceles.
• Tetragonal bipyramids, in which at least one of the equatorial quadrilaterals lies
on a plane. The regular octahedron is a special case in which all three
quadrilaterals are planar squares.
• Schönhardt polyhedron, a nonconvex polyhedron that cannot be partitioned into
tetrahedra without introducing new vertices.

More generally, an octahedron can be any polyhedron with eight faces.

The regular octahedron has 6 vertices and 12 edges, the minimum for an
octahedron; nonregular octahedra may have as many as 12 vertices and 18
edges.[1] Other nonregular octahedra include the following:

• Hexagonal prism: Two faces are parallel regular hexagons; six squares link
corresponding pairs of hexagon edges.
• Heptagonal pyramid: One face is a heptagon (usually regular), and the remaining
seven faces are triangles (usually isosceles). It is not possible for all triangular
faces to be equilateral.
• Truncated tetrahedron: The four faces from the tetrahedron are truncated to
become regular hexagons, and there are four more equilateral triangle faces where
each tetrahedron vertex was truncated.
• Tetragonal trapezohedron: The eight faces are congruent kites.

17
R. Buckminster Fuller and the Tetrahelix

Fuller gave quite explicit and far – seeing description of the

Tetrahelix, surmising the existence of two states of matter – the 8 x 8
Satva and the 9 x 9 Raja states, both of which enter into the
composition of the Tetrahelix. In this case, Fuller must have deduced
the existence of two states of matter from qualities of the Tetrahelix.

Moreover, Fuller goes into great detail about the relationship between
the Tetrahelix and the DNA helix. The author shall present an
additional paper on this theme, but as shall shortly be seen, Fuller
drew these connections many decades ago.

In his Sinergetics, Fuller suggests the definition of the Tetrahelix:

933.00 Tetrahelix
933.01 The tetrahelix is a helical array of triple-bonded
tetrahedra. (See Illus. 933.01) We have a column of tetrahedra
with straight edges, but when face-bonded to one another, and
Fig. 933.01 the tetrahedra's edges are interconnected, they altogether
form a hyperbolic-parabolic, helical column. The column
spirals around to make the helix, and it takes just ten
tetrahedra to complete one cycle of the helix.

In this section, Fuller discusses the binary aspects of the Tetrahelix,

which implies Yin and Yang qualities:

933.07 When we address two or more positive or two or more negative

tetrahelixes together, the positives nestle their angling forms into one
another, as the negatives nestle likewise into one another's forms.

18
The next section indicates the importance of carbon and its
relationship to the Tetrahelix and DNA, with an eye to the formation
of life:

931.61 The closest-packing concept was developed in respect to

spherical aggregates with the convex and concave octahedra and vector
equilibria spaces between the spheres. Spherical closest packing
overlooks a much closer packed condition of energy structures, which,
however, had been comprehended by organic chemistry__that of
quadrivalent and fourfold bonding, which corresponds to outright
congruence of the octahedra or tetrahedra themselves. When carbon
transforms from its soft, pressed-cake, carbon black powder (or
charcoal) arrangement to its diamond arrangement, it converts from the
so-called closest arrangement of triple bonding to quadrivalence. We
call this self-congruence packing, as a single tetrahedron arrangement
in contradistinction to closest packing as a neighboring-group
arrangement of spheres.

932.01 The four chemical compounds guanine, cytosine, thymine, and

adenine, whose first letters are GCTA, and of which DNA always consists
in various paired code pattern sequences, such as GC, GC, CG, AT, TA,
GC, in which A and T are always paired as are G and C. The pattern
controls effected by DNA in all biological structures can be
demonstrated by equivalent variations of the four individually unique
spherical radii of two unique pairs of spheres which may be centered in
any variation of series that will result in the viral steerability of
the shaping of the DNA tetrahelix prototypes. (See Sec. 1050.00 et.
seq.)

In the following section, Fuller describes the “ribbon” of a wave which

determines the connections between the tetrahedral and the helix.
While Fuller fails to specify a source for this wave, the author
theorizes that the wave originates with a spiral created from the
Magic Square at the center of the Clifford Clock and the Clock of
Complex Spaces. Just has H.L. Coxeter theorized that a polyhedra
emanates from rotations about a single point in space, so does
Fuller’s “ribbon” emanate from the Magic Square, the most likely
candidate for which is the Svas Tika (swastika) Magic Square, which

19
determines a revolving spiral – arm movement.

The 60 – degree pattern appears to fit nicely with the Fano Plane and
the Octonions, which the author posits as a key element of the
mathematics of the Tetrahelix. The ribbon works with the octahedra,
the icosahedra and the tetrahedra.

930.11 Exploring the multi-ramifications of spontaneously regenerative

re-angulations and triangulations, we introduce upon a continuous ribbon
a 60-degree-patterned, progressively alternating, angular bounce-off
inwards from first one side and then the other side of the ribbon, which
produces a wave pattern whose length is the interval along any one side
between successive bounce-offs which, being at 60 degrees in this case,
produces a series of equiangular triangles along the strip.

As seen from one side, the equiangular triangles are alternately

oriented as peak away, then base away, then peak away again, etc. This
is the patterning of the only equilibrious, never realized, angular
field state, in contradistinction to its sine-curve wave, periodic
realizations of progressively accumulative, disequilibrious aberrations,
whose peaks and valleys may also be patterned between the same length
wave intervals along the sides of the ribbon as that of the equilibrious
periodicity. (See Illus. 930.11.)

930.20 Pattern Strips Aggregate Wrapabilities: The equilibrious state's

60- degree rise-and-fall lines may also become successive cross-ribbon
fold-lines, which, when successively partially folded, will produce
alternatively a tetrahedral- or an octahedral- or an icosahedral-shaped
spool or reel upon which to roll-mount itself repeatedly: the
tetrahedral spool having four successive equiangular triangular facets
around its equatorial girth, with no additional triangles at its polar
extremities; while in the case of the octahedral reel, it wraps closed
only six of the eight triangular facets of the octahedron, which six lie
around the octahedron's equatorial girth with two additional triangles
left unwrapped, one each triangularly surrounding each of its poles;
while in the case of the icosahedron, the equiangle-triangulated and
folded ribbon wraps up only 10 of the icosahedron's 20 triangles, those

20
10 being the 10 that lie around the icosahedron's equatorial girth,
leaving five triangles uncovered around each of its polar vertexes. (See
Illus. 930.20.)

The next sections give details about the ribbon:

930.23 The tetrahedron requires only one wrap-up ribbon; the octahedron
two; and the icosahedron three, to cover all their respective numbers of
triangular facets.

930.24 If each of the ribbon-strips used to wrap-up, completely and

symmetrically, the tetra, octa, and icosa, consists of transparent tape;
and those tapes have been divided by a set of equidistantly interspaced
lines running parallel to the ribbon's edges; and three of these ribbons
wrap the tetrahedron, six wrap the octahedron, and nine the icosahedron;
then all the four equiangular triangular facets of the tetrahedron,
eight of the octahedron, and 20 of the icosahedron, will be seen to be
symmetrically subdivided into smaller equi-angle triangles whose total
number will be N2, the second power of the number of spaces between the
ribbon's parallel lines.

21
R. Gray
TETRAHELIX DATA

The tetrahelix of Fuller's Synergetics consists of face bond regular

tetrahedra. The mathematics for this spiraling structure is quit
einteresting. Despite the tetrahelix composition of regular tetrahedra
(the "simplest" polyhedron), I have not been able to find a simple way
to calculate the information for the tetrahelix.

From the Zheng paper (see References below): "The tetrahedral helix
is called the 'Bernal spiral' in association with discussions of liquid
structures in the physics literature."

The vertices of the regular tetrahedra of the tetrahelix all lay on the
surface of a cylinder. Let us visualize this cylinder lying along the z-
axis.

The radius of the cylinder:

r = (3 sqrt(3) / 10) EL

where EL is the edge length of the tetrahedra used to build the

tetrahelix.

22
Let us put a vertex (call it V0) of one of the tetrahedra on the x-axis.
That is
V0 = (r, 0, 0)
Then the next vertex of the tetrahelix (V1) will be at the coordinates

V1 = (r cos(theta), r sin(theta), h)

where theta is the angle around the z-axis and is given by

theta = arccos(-2/3) (approximately 131.8103149 degrees)

and where h is the distance in the z-axis direction and is given by

h = (1/sqrt(10)) EL

In the above figures, the yellow band connects a vertex to the "next"
vertex, while the distance h is the distance between the 2 blue bands
around the cylinder.

In general, the coordinates for the vertices of a Counter Clockwise

tetrahelix Vn (n = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...) are given by

Vn = (r cos(n*theta), r sin(n*theta), n*h)

The coordinates for the vertices of a Clockwise tetrahelix

Vn (n = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...) are given by

Vn = (r cos(n*theta), - r sin(n*theta), n*h)

Note that cos(theta) = -2/3 and that sin(theta) = sqrt(5)/3. You can

23
calculate exact expressions for the vertex coordinates by using these
relations together with the following trig identities:

cos(n*theta) = cos(theta)*cos((n-1)*theta) - sin(theta)*sin((n-1)*theta)

sin(n*theta) = sin(theta)*cos((n-1)*theta) + cos(theta)*sin((n-1)*theta)

One of the reasons that deriving the above information is difficult is

that the axis of symmetry of the cylinder (the axis through the center
of the cylinder) does not pass through the center of volume of the
tetrahedra. The distance from the z-axis to the tetrahedron center of
volume is given by the equation

dist. = (sqrt(2)/10) EL

Therefore, all the Tetrahelix cylinder axis of symmetry pass

tangentially by a sphere of radius (sqrt(2)/10)EL centered at the
Tetrahedron's center of volume.

Comments
• Tetrahelix come in 2 orientations; a right-handed spiral and a
left-handed spiral.

•
• The vertices of the tetrahelix never line up. That is, no two
vertices will ever rest directly above one another, since the theta
angle above is an irrational number.
•

24
•
• It may prove possible to "nest" 3 additional tetrahelix about the
original tetrahelix in a tight bundle, yet this proves impossible since
that face binding 5 tetrahedra together about a single edge/axis
leaves a gap (which Fuller calls the unzipping angle.) The dihedral
angle of the regular tetrahedron is
•
D-tetra = arccos(1/3) (approximately 70.528779 degrees)

• 5 times this amount is approx 352.643895 degrees, which is

approx 7.356105 degrees (the unzipping angle) short of 360
degrees. So the tetrahedra of multiple helixes can not pack
together without gaps.

• Twelve (12) possible Tetrahelix pass through a single

Tetrahedron: 6 Clockwise and 6 Counter clockwise. As the figure
shows, the spiral/coil associated with a Tetrahelix going through a
Tetrahedron passes through all 4 vertices of the Tetrahedron
sequentially. Since the spiral has the same symmetry axes as the
Tetrahelix, we can count the number of possible different spirals to
count the number of Tetrahelix.
•

•
•

25
 • We label the Tetrahedron's vertices by numbering them 1, 2, 3,
and 4. Then that equals 4x3x2x1 = 24 combinations for the order
in which the spiral can pass through the vertices. However, 1/2 of
these are simply reversals: (1,2,3,4) has the same spiral symmetry
axis as the spiral (4,3,2,1). That leaves 12 spirals/Tetrahelix.

For more details on the way 12 Tetrahelix axes pass through a

single Tetrahedron, see the next web page.

There is a Clockwise and a Counterclockwise spiral associated with

every Tetrahelix.

Note that the spacing between adjacent loops in the spiral is different
for the Counterclockwise spiral versus the Clockwise spiral.

In both cases, the spirals sequentially pass through all the vertices in
a Tetrahedron.

In both cases, the spiral travels a distance along the z-axis by an

amount:

h = (1/sqrt(10)) EL

But in one case, the spiral travels around the Tetrahelix by an angular
amount of

theta = arccos(-2/3) (approximately 131.8103149 degrees)

and in the other case, the spiral travels around the Tetrahelix by an
angular amount of

alpha = 360 - arccos(-2/3) (approximately 228.1896851 degrees)

• (My notes on this (dated 1997) suggests that I am not the

originator of this. Unfortunately, they do not indicate who
suggested this originally.)

If the tetrahedra used to build the tetrahelix are 10-frequency

26
 (have 11 vertices per edge) then the axis of the surrounding
tetrahelix cylinder will always pass through the tetrahedra faces at
an inner triangular face vertex. The "triangular face coordinate"
which the symmetry axis passes through is (7,3).

• For a finite length Tetrahelix, all of the Tetrahelix's vertices can

be given rational (x, y, z) coordinates. Then by scaling, the
coordinates' x, y, z, components can be made to be integers.

• I have found that if you allow the vertices to be flexible and

allow some of the tetrahedra edges to expand in length, the
tetrahelix can fold up into another (shorter) tetrahelix. When it
does, it passes through an Octahedron phase.
•
The following sequence of images helpd one visualize the
transformation.

First, consider the Tetrahelix as consisting of a number of 3-

Tetrahedra units. By folding up each of these units, the Tetrahelix is
reduced.

We can fold up a 3-Tetra unit as shown in the following figures.

27
Not that only the C-to-D edge needs to change its length. All other
edges of the Tetrahedra remain the same.

28
At this point, the 3 Tetrahedra are very close to defining an
Octahedron. They actually do form an Octahedron as the vertices "A"
and "B" are brought closer togther.

When vertices "A" and "B" are brought together, a double Tetrahedron
is formed. That is two Tetrahedra face bound togther. (This figure only
shows one of the 2 Tetrahedra. The other is hidden behind this one.)

The transformation from the 3 Tetrahedra to the Octahedron Fuller

calls the "Richter Transformation". See Color plate 6 in Fuller's book
Synergetics. I am not aware that Fuller continued the transformation
described here to transform a Tetrahelix.
•

• Joe Matto suggested to me (October, 2004) that 2 Tetrahelix

can intersect each other at 90 degrees. If we define "intersect" to
mean that the axis of symmetry of 2 Tetrahelix pass through a
common Tetrahedron and pass through a common point at 90
degrees, then this statement is not true. The 2 Tetrahelix
"intersect" each other at
•
2 arcsin(1/sqrt(10)) = 36.86989765... degrees.

However, if we define "intersect" to mean that the 2 Tetrahelix pass

through a common Tetrahedron and thier symmetry axes pass by
each other at 90 degrees, then this is true.

• There are 2 ways to place the end of a Tetrahelix flat on the top
of a table such that the Tetrahelix rises above the table. See the
calculations here. The angles which the symmetry axis makes with
the table top are:

29
 •
90 - arccos(sqrt(1/15)) = 14.96321744... degrees
• and
90 - arccos(sqrt(3/5)) = 50.76847952... degrees

Tetrahelix Axes Passing Thru A Single Tetrahedron

We know that the symmetry axis of a Tetrahelix passing through a

Tetrahedron's triangular face must pass through a triangle face
coordinate (7, 3). (See this web page for details.)

We highlight the 3 (7,3) triangle face coordinates by drawing a

red triangle.

We divide all 4 faces of the Tetrahedron into a 10-frequency

grid and draw the (7,3) triangles in red.

30
We next connect all the vertices of the red triangles to all
other red triangle vertices.

Since we know that the Tetrahelix symmetry axis passes into a

Tetrahedron and out of a Tetrahedron through only these (7,3)
positions, some of these lines must serve as symmetry axes for
all possible Tetrahelix passing through this Tetrahedron.

31
 Tetrahelix Axis Passes Thru (7,3) Face Coordinate

We want to prove that the cylinder axis of the Tetrahelix passes through the Tetrahedron’s
triangle face at triangle face coordinate (7, 3).

The radius of the Tetrahelix cylinder is given by

where EL is the edge length of the Tetrahedra making up the Tetrahelix.

The Tetrahelix can be positioned so that its (x, y, z) coordinates are given by the equation

where (approximately 131.8103149 degrees) and

Using the equations

32
it is easy to calculate values for and .

n
0 1 0
1

The n-th Terahelix vertex will then have the coordinate

For the “first” 4 vertices, with EL=1, we get

33
What (7, 3) means is that we travel 7 (out of 10) units along one edge and then 3 units
(out of 10) parallel to another edge of the triangular face.

Define Va to be the vector from vertex V0 toward vertex V1 but which is only 7 (out of 10)
units in length. Then define Vb to be the vector from vertex V1 toward vertex V2 and
which is 3 (out of 10) units in length.

Then the vector to (one of) the face point (7, 3) is given by V0 + Va + Vb. If this vector
has no x or y components then it must lay on the z-axis, which is the symmetry axis of the
Tetrahelix.

We calculate Va to be

And we calculate Vb to be

34
Then the vector to the point face coordinate point (7, 3) is given by

This lays on the z-axis. So the symmetry axis of the Tetrahelix does pass through the
triangular face coordinate (7,3).

There are 3 such face points depending on which of the 3 vertices of the triangular face is
used to begin measuring the 7 (and then 3) units of length.

We also know that this symmetry axis passes by the center of

volume of the Tetrahedron at a distance of (sqrt(2)/10)EL. (See
this web page for details.)

So we place a sphere with this radius value at the center of

volume of the Tetrahedron.

35
The lines which pass the sphere at a tangent point on the sphere
will be a symmetry axis for a Tetrahelix. These lines will be
shown in green.

36
There are 12 green lines, so 12 Tetrahelices pass through a
single Tetrahedron. Six of these will have a Clockwise screw
sense and 6 will have a Counter Clockwise screw sense.

It would be very interesting to know what breaks the symmetry of

screw sense. How is it that one green line gets assigned to a
Clockwise screw sense Tetrahelix and another gets assigned to a
Counter Clockwise? At this point, one line seems the same as any
other line.

37
Note that the green lines come in crossing pairs. There are 6
intersection points which define an Octahedron.

The angle of the intersecting green lines gives the angle at

which the Tetrahelix intersect each other.

However, it should be noted that the symmetry axis of two

Tetrahelix which share the same Tetrahedron do not have to
intersect inside the shared Tetrahedron.

As the following figure shows, a Tetrahelix's symmetry axis will

intersect 5 other Tetrahelix axis of symmetry and 2 of the
intersection points are outside the Tetrahedron.

38
Intersection points 1 and 5 in the above figure are outside the
Tetrahedron. Points 2 and 4 are on the face of the Tetrahedron
and intersection point 3 is inside the Tetrahedron.

It has been suggested to me by Joe Matto that 2 Tetrahelix can

"intersect" each other at 90 degrees. This is not possible if by
"intersect" one means that the axis of symmetry of the
Tetrahelix intersect at 90 degrees.

However, recall that the opposite edge of a Tetrahedron pass by

each other at 90 degrees. That is, the two opposite edges share
the same mid-edge point axis and one edge is rotated by 90
degrees about this shared axis with respect to the other edge.

In a similar way, the axis of symmetry of 2 Tetrahelix can pass

by each other at 90 degrees. Note that the 2 Tetrahelix are also
passing through the same Tetrahedron. So, one could say that the
Tetrahelix are intersecting each other at 90 degrees.

Here is a figure showing the symmetry axis lines from another

point of view showing that one passes under another and are

39
rotated about a common axis by 90 degrees, just like the
Tetrahedron case shown above.

Here is another perspective of this in which I draw in a

Tetrahedron (in black) and a mid-edge to mid-edge axis of the
Tetrahedron (in blue).

40
More details and calculations are given on the next page.

Tetrahelix Axis Passes Thru (7,3) Face Coordinate

We want to prove that the cylinder axis of the Tetrahelix passes through the Tetrahedron’s
triangle face at triangle face coordinate (7, 3).

The radius of the Tetrahelix cylinder is given by

where EL is the edge length of the Tetrahedra making up the Tetrahelix.

The Tetrahelix can be positioned so that its (x, y, z) coordinates are given by the equation

where (approximately 131.8103149 degrees) and

Using the equations

41
it is easy to calculate values for and .

n
0 1 0
1

The n-th Terahelix vertex will then have the coordinate

For the “first” 4 vertices, with EL=1, we get

42
What (7, 3) means is that we travel 7 (out of 10) units along one edge and then 3 units
(out of 10) parallel to another edge of the triangular face.

Define Va to be the vector from vertex V0 toward vertex V1 but which is only 7 (out of 10)
units in length. Then define Vb to be the vector from vertex V1 toward vertex V2 and
which is 3 (out of 10) units in length.

Then the vector to (one of) the face point (7, 3) is given by V0 + Va + Vb. If this vector
has no x or y components then it must lay on the z-axis, which is the symmetry axis of the
Tetrahelix.

We calculate Va to be

43
And we calculate Vb to be

Then the vector to the point face coordinate point (7, 3) is given by

This lays on the z-axis. So the symmetry axis of the Tetrahelix does pass through the
triangular face coordinate (7,3).

There are 3 such face points depending on which of the 3 vertices of the triangular face is
used to begin measuring the 7 (and then 3) units of length.

44
 12 Tetrahelix-Tetrahedron Intersection Points

We calculate the (x, y, z) coordinates for the 3x4=12 points (3

per Tetrahedron triangular face) for the triangle face
coordinates (7, 3). This will allows us to then calculate other
properties of the Tetrahelix.

Recall that the Tetrahelix axis passes through the (7, 3) points
of the Tetrahedron's triangular face.

We position the Tetrahedron so that its 4 vertices are at

V1 = (1, 1, 1)
V2 = (–1, –1, 1)
V3 = (–1, 1, –1)
V4 = (1, –1, –1)

45
The Tetrahedron edge length is then

EL = dist(V2 - V1) = sqrt( (-1 - 1)^2 + (-1 - 1)^2 + (1 - 1)^2)

EL = sqrt( 4 + 4 + 0) = 2 sqrt(2) = 2.828427125...

For the V1-V2-V3 triangular face, we let

Va = (V2 – V1) = (–2, –2, 0)

Vb = (V3 – V2) = (0 , 2, –2)
Vc = (V1 – V3) = (2, 0, 2)

Then

P1 = V1 + (7/10)Va + (3/10)Vb = (1 – 14/10, 1 – 14/10 + 6/10,

1 – 6/10)
P1 = (–4/10, 2/10, 4/10) = (–0.4, 0.2, 0.4)

P2 = V2 + (7/10)Vb + (3/10)Vc = (–1 + 6/10, –1 + 14/10, 1 –

14/10 + 6/10)
P2 = (–4/10, 4/10, 2/10) = (–0.4, 0.4, 0.2)

46
P3 = V3 + (7/10)Vc + (3/10)Va = (–1 + 14/10 – 6/10, 1 – 6/10,
–1 + 14/10)
P3 = (– 2/10, 4/10, 4/10) = (–0.2, 0.4, 0.4)

For the V1-V2-V4 triangular face, we let

Va = (V2 – V1) = (–2, –2, 0)

Vb = (V4 – V2) = (2 , 0, –2)
Vc = (V1 – V4) = (0, 2, 2)

Then

P1 = V1 + (7/10)Va + (3/10)Vb = (1 – 14/10 + 6/10, 1 – 14/10,

1 – 6/10)
P1 = ( 2/10, –4/10, 4/10) = (0.2, –0.4, 0.4)

P2 = V2 + (7/10)Vb + (3/10)Vc = (–1 + 14/10, –1 + 6/10, 1 –

14/10 + 6/10)
P2 = ( 4/10, – 4/10, 2/10) = (0.4, –0.4, 0.2)

P3 = V4 + (7/10)Vc + (3/10)Va = ( 1 – 6/10, –1 + 14/10 –

6/10, –1 + 14/10)
P3 = ( 4/10, –2/10, 4/10) = (0.4, –0.2, 0.4)

For the V1-V3-V4 triangular face, we let

Va = (V3 – V1) = (–2, 0, –2)

Vb = (V4 – V3) = (2 , –2, 0)
Vc = (V1 – V4) = (0, 2, 2)

P1 = V1 + (7/10)Va + (3/10)Vb = (1 – 14/10 + 6/10, 1 – 6/10, 1

– 14/10)
P1 = ( 2/10, 4/10, – 4/10) = (0.2, 0.4, –0.4)

47
P2 = V3 + (7/10)Vb + (3/10)Vc = (–1 + 14/10, 1 – 14/10 + 6/10,
–1 + 6/10)
P2 = ( 4/10, 2/10, –4/10) = (0.4, 0.2, –0.4)

P3 = V4 + (7/10)Vc + (3/10)Va = ( 1 – 6/10, –1 + 14/10, –1 +

14/10 – 6/10)
P3 = ( 4/10, 4/10, –2/10) = (0.4, 0.4, –0.2)

For the V2-V3-V4 triangular face, we let

Va = (V3 – V2) = (0, 2, –2)

Vb = (V4 – V3) = (2 , –2, 0)
Vc = (V2 – V4) = (–2, 0, 2)

P1 = V2 + (7/10)Va + (3/10)Vb = (–1 + 6/10, –1 + 14/10 –

6/10, 1 – 14/10)
P1 = (–4/10, –2/10, – 4/10) = (–0.4, –0.2, –0.4)

P2 = V3 + (7/10)Vb + (3/10)Vc = (–1 + 14/10 – 6/10, 1 –

14/10, –1 + 6/10)
P2 = (–2/10, –4/10, –4/10) = (–0.2, –0.4, –0.4)

P3 = V4 + (7/10)Vc + (3/10)Va = ( 1 – 14/10, –1 + 6/10, –1 +

14/10 – 6/10)
P3 = (–4/10, –4/10, –2/10) = (–0.4, –0.4, –0.2)

Now that we know the (7,3) points we can draw the small triangle
red triangle on each of the 4 Tetrahedron's faces.

48
We know that the Tetrahelix axes make crossing lines through
these (7, 3) triangle face points.

For example, if we look at just 2 of the red triangles, then two

of the Tetrahelix axes pass through the 4 points as follows.

49
"A" goes to "A" and "B" goes to "B".

The two "A" point coordinates are

A(123) = (–0.2, 0.4, 0.4), A(134) = (0.2, 0.4, –0.4)

The length of the line segment A-to-A is given by

dist = sqrt( (0.2 + 0.2)^2 + (0.4 - 0.4)^2 + (-0.4 - 0.4)^2 )

dist = sqrt(0.16 + 0.0 + 0.64) = sqrt(0.8)
dist = sqrt(8/10) = 2 / sqrt(5) = 0.894427191...

We can calculate the crossing angle as follows:

Since the edge length of the Tetrahedron is EL = 2 sqrt(2) the

edge length of the small red triangle is

ELs = EL / 10 = sqrt(2) / 5.

We let alpha = (1/2) crossing angle.

50
Then

sin(alpha) = (ELs/2) / ( (2/sqrt(5)) / 2)

sin(alpha) = ( sqrt(2) / 10 ) / ( 1 / sqrt(5) )
sin(alpha) = sqrt(5) / (5 sqrt(2) )
sin(alpha) = 1 / sqrt(10)

Then the crossing angle is

alpha = 2 arcsin(1/sqrt(10)) = 36.86989765... degrees.

We now wish to calculate the angle which a Tetrahelix makes with

a table top when the a Tetrahedron face is placed flat on the
table.

We first need a vector which is perpendicular to a Tetrahedron

face. This can easily be found by summing the vectors to
vertices V1, V2, and V3. (The red line in the next figure is
perpendicular to the V1,V2,V3 face of the Tetrahedron.)

51
This is essentially taking the average of the 3 vectors and
multiplying by 3. Recall that the average of the vectors is
given by

Avg(123) = (1/3)(V1 + V2 + V3)

So, multiplying by 3 we get

Vn(123) = (V1 + V2 + V3) = (-1, 1, 1)

This is a vector pointing out through the Face Center of the V1,
V2, V3 face.

This vector Vn(123) is normal (perpendicular) the the V1, V2, V3

face.

If we put the Tetrahedron of the table with its V1, V2, V3 face
flat on the table, this vector will point down through the
table. So, we reverse the direction of this vector so that it
will point up from the table top.

Vn(123) = (1, -1, -1)

52
For calculation purposes, we make the length of this vector to
be 1. In the Figures, the length is not 1 and is drawn as a red
line.

Vn(123) = (1/sqrt(3))(1, -1, -1) = (1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3))

We will use the vector dot product to calculate the angles.

A.B = |A| |B| cos(theta)

theta = arccos(A.B / (|A||B|))

The vector connecting the 2 "A" points above

A(123) = (–0.2, 0.4, 0.4)

A(134) = (0.2, 0.4, –0.4)

is given by

VAA = A(134) - A(123) = (0.4, 0.0, -0.8) = (2/5, 0, -4/5)

(see the blue line in the figures.)

Its magnitude is

mag(VAA) = sqrt(0.4^2 + (-0.8)^2) = sqrt(0.16 + 0.64)

mag(VAA) = sqrt(0.8) = sqrt(8/10) = 2 / sqrt(5)

The unit vector in the VAA direction is then

UAA = (sqrt(5)/2)(2/5, 0, -4/5)

UAA = (1/sqrt(5), 0, -2/sqrt(5))

Note that vectors can be moved to any position as long as we

don't change their direction nor their magnitude. So I move it
(blue line) in the Figure so that it is at the face center. The
red line (perpendicular line to the Tetrahedron face) also
passes through the face center point.

53
The dot product is

(1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3)).(1/sqrt(5), 0, -2/sqrt(5))

(1/sqrt(15) + 2/sqrt(15)) = 3/sqrt(15) = sqrt(3/5)

So theta is

theta = arccos(sqrt(3/5)) = 39.23152048... degrees

Which means the Tetrahelix makes an angle of

90 - arccos(sqrt(3/5)) = 50.76847952... degrees

with the table's surface.

There is another angle at which a Tetrahelix can make with the

table when the Tetrahedron is placed flat on the table. See the
green line in the above figure. This is another axis of symmetry
for some Tetrahelix. It passes through the table top some
distance away from the Tetrahedron as the following Figures
show.

54
There are several line segments we could chose for the
calculation. The following 2 Figures shows the line segment in
green that I will use. Yes, its very hard to see the
orientation.

55
The two points selected are:

P3 = (0.4, -0.2, 0.4) from face (1.2.4), and

P2 = (0.4, 0.2, -0.4) from face (1.3.4).

The vector along this line segment is then

V = (0.4, 0.2, -0.4) – (0.4, –0.2, 0.4)

V = (0.0, 0.4, -0.8) = (0, 2/5, -4/5)

As before, the magnitude of this vector is

mag(V) = sqrt(0.4^2 + (-0.8)^2) = sqrt(0.16 + 0.64)

mag(V) = sqrt(0.8) = sqrt(8/10) = 2 / sqrt(5)

The unit vector in the direction of th egreen line segment is

then

UV = (sqrt(5)/2)(0, 2/5, -4/5)

UV = (0, 1/sqrt(5), -2/sqrt(5))

We can place this vector anywhere we want. So we place it at the

center of the 1.2.3 face.

56
The dot product with the face unit normal is given by

D = (1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3), -1/sqrt(3)).(0, 1/sqrt(5), -2/sqrt(5))

D = 0 - 1/sqrt(15) + 2/sqrt(15) = 1/sqrt(15)

So, for this case, theta is

theta = arccos(sqrt(1/15)) = 75.0367825... degrees

57
Which means this Tetrahelix makes an angle of

90 - arccos(sqrt(1/15)) = 14.96321744... degrees

with the table.

58
 References
Here is a list of references. However, I did not use any of these references for my calculations.
• H. S. M. Coxeter, Introduction to Geometry, Wiley: New York, 1969, p. 412.

• Chong Zheng, Roald Hoffman, David R. Nelson, "A Helical Face-Sharing Tetrahedron Chain
with Irrational Twist, Stella Quadrangula, and Related Matters", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, pp.
3784-3791, 1990.

I have not seen the following references. These references are given in the Zheng paper.

• A. H. Boerdjik, Phillips Res. Rep., 7, p. 303, 1952.

• J. D. Bernal, Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A, 280, p. 299, 1964.

• P. J. Steinhardt, D. R. Nelson, M. Ronchetti, Phys. Rev. Lett., 47, p. 1297, 1981.

• P. J. Steinhardt, D. R. Nelson, M. Ronchetti, Phys. Rev. B, 28, p. 784, 1983.

• D. R. Nelson, Phys. Rev. B, 28, p. 5515, 1983.

59
Conclusion

Discussion of R. Grey Section

Grey certainly develops and articulates the model left by R.

Buckminster Fuller. The most interesting aspect of his work is the
following:

• The "triangular face coordinate" which the symmetry axis

passes through is (7,3).

Viewing the BC – Helix from this angle suggests a number of related

mathematical structures: the Binomial Pyramid, attributed to Zhang
Hui, to the Hindus as Mt. Meru and to Blaise Pascal. Frank “Tony”
Smith has done considerable work on his massive website to
illustrate similar numerical relationships among Clifford and other
higher algebras.

Since ours is a combinatorial universe, could we construct a triangle

like this after the Binomial Pyramid? The shape is suggestive of many

60
possibilities, including the Fano Plane and the Octonions, which
obviously play a part in the BC – Helix.

Tony Smith and the late Robert de Marrais have suggested the
relationship of Sedenions to various lattices, specifically the Leech
Lattice, the E8 Lattice and the Barnes – Wall Lattice. The triangular
shape of the latter suggests a relationship to the BC – Helix, while the
involvement of DNA with the helix implies a relationship to the Leech
Lattice. Indeed, the author will later present a paper which explores
the relationship of these lattices to the BC – Helix and the 64
hexagrams of the I Ching, as well as the 64 amino acid combinations
of DNA.

Given the involvement of the E8 Lattice, one might include the

Freudenthal – Tits Magic Square of Exceptional Lie Algebras, which is
related to triality.

61
 A\B R C H O
R A1 A2 C3 F 4
C A2 A2 × A2 A5 E6
H C3 A5 D6 E7
O F4 E6 E7 E
B R C H O
A der(A/B) 0 0
R 0
C 0
H
O
Note that by construction, the row of the table with A=R gives
der(J3(B)), and similarly vice versa.

62
Barnes Wall Lattice

Another related lattice is that of the Barnes – Wall Lattice, shown

below: notice the position of E8 here, as well as D4. If we may draw
parallels between Exceptional Lie Algebra and the BW Lattice, it
appears that higher forms of organization may exist beyond E8.

63
The Magic Triangle

While apparently square in shape, the Magic Square can be fashioned

into a triangle, as has been done by P. Cvitanovic.

Hypothesis

Would it prove possible to combine the Exceptional Lie Algebras of

the three Magic Triangles into one face of the BC – Helix? What might
be the result? E8 on each vertex with the remainder filling in.

64
In fact, it appears that there exist two versions of the BC Helix, one
containing proportionately more of the 8 x 8 equilibrious Satva state,
and related to the more stable structures of DNA, as discussed in
detail by R. Buckminster Fuller and R. Gray as the Tetrahelix.

The second version appears more akin to what has been oddly
termed the Pearce Cluster, since Peter Pearce disavows this title for
his own creation, preferring “Oblate Icosahedral system.”

The author theorizes that the Pearce Cluster or the Oblated

Icosahedral System forms when matter is programmed toward the
more dynamic state of 9 x 9 Raja type. That is to say that matter
forms has has been described in the Qi Men Dun Jia Model until it
reaches the BC – Helix, which apparently includes both the 8 x 8 and
the 9 x 9 state of matter, before choosing one type over the other.

Thus, for example, if matter were developing towards a DNA strand,

then this would be stable Satva matter of the 8 x 8 type, and the BC
– Helix would develop into this formation. On the other hand, if there
were a bit micro bit of dynamic matter that was programmed for a
different use, then one would anticipate the formation of the Pearce

65
Cluster / Oblate Icosahedra structure.

In a future paper the author hopes to show how these lattices, Magic
Squares and Magic Triangles extend towards the Golay Code and DNA
amino acid coding, as suggested by R. Buckminster Fuller.

Eccentricities of the BC – Helix

The BC – Helix or the Tetrahelix exhibit certain functional
eccentricities that perhaps relate closely to one another as the helix
carries out its functions. That is to say, that instead of simply
dismissing these as odd aspects of the polytope, we may rather
assemble these eccentricities to see whether and how they may fit
together, for the purpose of serving some function that remains as yet
unknown.

As mentioned above, the Octonions have been dismissed as useless

for physics since they lose the associative ability, while sedenions
lose the division property. At the same time, the BC – Helix reduces
from the dodecahedral shape to the octahedral, as discussed by R.
Gray and R. Buckminster Fuller in the Richter Transformation. It may
prove possible that the loss of functionality of the higher algebras may
be connected to the reduction of the BC – Helix to an octahedral.

66
The Richter Transformation

“Quanta Lost by Precession” boasts the subtitle, teasingly suggesting

the appropriate role of the Octonions and Sedenions in the BC –
Helix, since most mathematicians and physicists complain about the
loss of functionality in the Octonions and Sedenions, the Octonions
losing associativity and the Sedenions losing divisibility. Roger
Penrose calls the Octonions the “lost cause” of physics, while Frank
“Tony” Smith wrote that the best use of the Sedenions is to put the
Octonions into complete perspective.

67
If the Richter Transformation signals the transition from a 3
Tetrahedron to an Octahedron, then we might well expect a loss of
functionality in the algebras which comprise the geometric structures.
That is to say, that if indeed “Quanta is Lost by Precession,” then the
reason may well be that nature requires this loss in order to carry out
the transformation from one geometric structure to another, from one
state of matter to another, ie, from 9 x 9 Raja matter to 8 x 8 Satva
matter.

Therefore, there may well exist a logical reason why the Octonions
and Sedenions lose their properties, just as the Richter
Transformation results in a loss of quanta. A butterfly must shed its
cocoon at some point. Here Tony Smith describes the loss of
divisibility in the Sedenions:

The eccentricities of BC – Helix continue, when we learn that the

spiral which forms the helix pass through the vertices in sequence.
We find that the axis fails to pass through the center of the object but
is slightly off – center; and therefore the sections never actually line
up smoothly. Wikipedia states that the BC – Helix is the only stacking
Platonic Solid which is not rotationally repetitive, due to the helical
pitch per cell.

We learn that there are clockwise and anti – clockwise versions of the
helix, and that the clockwise has a length of 131.8103149, while the

68
anti – clockwise version has a length of 228.1896851.

We learn from R. Buckminster Fuller that the BC – Helix attempts but

forever fails to attain an equilibrious periodicity, probably related to
the 8 x 8 Satva state of matter, while mostly striving in the more
dynamic state, which perhaps Fuller understood without knowing that
he was discussing the 9 x 9 Raja sate – the sign of a true genius.

In section 930.11, Fuller tells us that the helix forms in the direction of
peak to base to peak again, thus underscoring this dynamic process.

Finally, there is the problem of the Hopf Fibration. After reading Tony
Smith's piece called, “Why Not Sedenions,” it occurs that the Barnes
Wall Lattices, along with the Leech Lattice and E8 Lattice, appear in
the even dimensions, which suggests the stable 8 x 8 Satva structure,
while the Hopf Fibration may only appear in odd dimensions. As
noted above, the BC – Helix appears to fluctuate during its
development between the two states of matter, and the problem of
dimension, or combinatorial counts, may relate to which type finally
emerges in the structure.

The partially completed chart below illustrates this process:

In odd dimensions we find Hopf Fibration while in even dimensions

we find Barnes – Wall Lattices, including Leech and E8. What is the
14 Dimension Lattice that corresponds to G2?

69
Dim Lattice Type
1
2 Z2 Barnes - Wall
3 Hopf Fibration
4 D4
5
6
7 Hopf Fibration
8 E8 Barnes - Wall
9
10
11
12
13
14 G2 Exceptional Lie Algebra
15 Hopf Fibration
16 Laminated Barnes - Wall

The Barnes – Wall lattices can be constructed from the Leech Lattice
A24.

The BC – Helix appears in two types, clockwise and

counterclockwise, and this may relate to the problem as well. Does
the clockwise type correspond to the 8 x 8 version, and vice versa?

This problem proves worthy of additional study and the author is

planning a future paper on the subject of the Hopf Fibration and
lattices.

70
Applications
The BC – Helix has a wide range of applications across various
disciplines, but especially in crystallography and minerals. We list a
few of them here.

Abstract:
Helices and dense packing of spherical objects are two closely related
problems. For instance, the Boerdijk-Coxeter helix, which is obtained
as a linear packing of regular tetrahedra, is a very efficient solution to
some close-packing problems. The shapes of biological helices result
from various kinds of interaction forces, including steric repulsion.
Thus, the search for a maximum density can lead to structures
related to the Boerdijk-Coxeter helix. Examples are presented for the
-helix structure in proteins and for the structure of the protein
collagen, but there are other examples of helical packings at different
scales in biology. Models based on packing efficiency related to the
Boerdijk-Coxeter helix, explain, mainly from topological arguments,
why the number of amino acids per turn is close to 3.6 in -helices
and 2.7 in collagen.

71
Bibliography

Pearce Cluster / Oblated Icosahedra

18. P. Pearce, Structure in Nature is a Strategy for Design

(MIT Press, 1990).

Twisted Octonions

http://captaincomputersensor.net/sedtypes2.html

http://captaincomputersensor.net/Superparity.html

he European Physical Journal B - Condensed Matter and Complex Systems

November 1999, Volume 12, Issue 2, pp 309-318

Boerdijk-Coxeter helix and biological helices

• J.F. Sadoc,
• N. Rivier

[PDF]The c-brass structure and the Boerdijk–Coxeter helix

Adobe PDF
The c-brass structure and the Boerdijk–Coxeter helix E.A. Lord *, S. Ranganathan Department of
Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India

72
Appendix I

R. Buckminster Fuller on the Tetrahelix

930.00 Tetrahelix: Unzipping Angle
930.10 Continuous Pattern Strip: "Come and
Go"

930.11 Exploring the multiramifications of spontaneously regenerative reangulations

and triangulations, we introduce upon a continuous ribbon a 60-degree-patterned,
progressively alternating, angular bounce-off inwards from first one side and then the
Fig. other side of the ribbon, which produces a wave pattern whose length is the interval
930.11 along any one side between successive bounce-offs which, being at 60 degrees in this
case, produces a series of equiangular triangles along the strip. As seen from one side,
the equiangular triangles are alternately oriented as peak away, then base away, then
peak away again, etc. This is the patterning of the only equilibrious, never realized,
angular field state, in contradistinction to its sine-curve wave, periodic realizations of
progressively accumulative, disequilibrious aberrations, whose peaks and valleys may
also be patterned between the same length wave intervals along the sides of the ribbon
as that of the equilibrious periodicity. (See Illus. 930.11.)

930.20 Pattern Strips Aggregate Wrapabilities:The equilibrious state's 60- degree

rise-and-fall lines may also become successive cross-ribbon fold-lines, which, when
successively partially folded, will produce alternatively a tetrahedral- or an
octahedral- or an icosahedral-shaped spool or reel upon which to roll-mount itself
repeatedly: the tetrahedral spool having four successive equiangular triangular facets
around its equatorial girth, with no additional triangles at its polar extremities; while
in the case of the octahedral reel, it wraps closed only six of the eight triangular facets
of the octahedron, which six lie around the octahedron's equatorial girth with two
additional triangles left unwrapped, one each triangularly surrounding each of its
poles; while in the case of the icosahedron, the equiangle-triangulated and folded
ribbon wraps up only 10 of the icosahedron's 20 triangles, those 10 being the 10 that
lie around the icosahedron's equatorial girth, leaving five triangles uncovered around
each of its polar vertexes. (See Illus. 930.20.)

930.21 The two uncovered triangles of the octahedron may be covered by wrapping
only one more triangularly folded ribbon whose axis of wraparound is one of the XYZ
symmetrical axes of the octahedron.

930.22 Complete wrap-up of the two sets of five triangles occurring around each of
the two polar zones of the icosahedron, after its equatorial zone triangles are
completely enclosed by one ribbon-wrapping, can be accomplished by employing
only two more such alternating, triangulated ribbon-wrappings .

930.23 The tetrahedron requires only one wrap-up ribbon; the octahedron two; and
the icosahedron three, to cover all their respective numbers of triangular facets.
Though all their faces are covered, there are, however, alternate and asymmetrically
arrayed, open and closed edges of the tetra, octa, and icosa, to close all of which in an

73
 even-number of layers of ribbon coverage per each facet and per each edge of the
three-and-only prime structural systems of Universe, requires three, triangulated,
ribbon-strip wrappings for the tetrahedron; six for the octahedron; and nine for the
icosahedron.

930.24 If each of the ribbon-strips used to wrap-up, completely and symmetrically,

the tetra, octa, and icosa, consists of transparent tape; and those tapes have been
divided by a set of equidistantly interspaced lines running parallel to the ribbon's
edges; and three of these ribbons wrap the tetrahedron, six wrap the octahedron, and
nine the icosahedron; then all the four equiangular triangular facets of the tetrahedron,
eight of the octahedron, and 20 of the icosahedron, will be seen to be symmetrically
subdivided into smaller equiangle triangles whose total number will be N 2, the second
power of the number of spaces between the ribbon's parallel lines.

930.25 All of the vertexes of the intercrossings of the three-, six-, nine-ribbons' internal
parallel lines and edges identify the centers of spheres closest-packed into tetrahedra,
octahedra, and icosahedra of a frequency corresponding to the number of parallel intervals of
the ribbons. These numbers (as we know from Sec. 223.21) are:
2F2 + 2 for the tetrahedron;
4F2 + 2 for the octahedron; and
10F2 + 2 for the icosahedron (or vector equilibrium).

930.26 Thus we learn sum-totally how a ribbon (band) wave, a waveband, can self-
interfere periodically to produce in-shuntingly all the three prime structures of
Universe and a complex isotropic vector matrix of successively shuttle-woven
tetrahedra and octahedra. It also illustrates how energy may be wave-shuntingly self-
knotted or self- interfered with (see Sec. 506), and their energies impounded in local,
high-frequency systems which we misidentify as only-seemingly-static matter.

931.00 Chemical
Bonds

931.10 Omnicongruence:When two or more systems are joined vertex to vertex,

edge to edge, or in omnicongruence-in single, double, triple, or quadruple bonding,
then the topological accounting must take cognizance of the congruent vectorial build
in growth. (See Illus. 931.10.)

931.20 Single Bond:In a single-bonded or univalent aggregate, all the tetrahedra are
joined to one another by only one vertex. The connection is like an electromagnetic
universal joint or like a structural engineering pin joint; it can rotate in any direction
around the joint. The mutability of behavior of single bonds elucidates the
compressible and load-distributing behavior of gases.

931.30 Double Bond:If two vertexes of the tetrahedra touch one another, it is called
double-bonding. The systems are joined like an engineering hinge; it can rotate only
perpendicularly about an axis. Double-bonding characterizes the load-distributing but
noncompressible behavior of liquids. This is edge-bonding.

931.40 Triple Bond:When three vertexes come together, it is called a fixed bond, a
three-point landing. It is like an engineering fixed joint; it is rigid. Triple-bonding
elucidates both the formational and continuing behaviors of crystalline substances.
This also is face-bonding.

74
931.50 Quadruple Bond:When four vertexes are congruent, we have quadruple-
bonded densification. The relationship is quadrivalent. Quadri-bond and mid-edge
coordinate tetrahedron systems demonstrate the super-strengths of substances such as
diamonds and metals. This is the way carbon suddenly becomes very dense, as in a
diamond. This is multiple self-congruence.

931.51 The behavioral hierarchy of bondings is integrated four-dimensionally with

the synergies of mass-interattractions and precession.

931.60 Quadrivalence of Energy Structures Closer-Than-Sphere Packing:In

1885, van't Hoff showed that all organic chemical structuring is tetrahedrally
configured and interaccounted in vertexial linkage. A constellation of tetrahedra
linked together entirely by such single-bonded universal jointing uses lots of space,
which is the openmost condition of flexibility and mutability characterizing the
behavior of gases. The medium- packed condition of a double-bonded, hinged
arrangement is still flexible, but sum-totally as an aggregate, allspace-filling complex
is noncompressible__as are liquids. The closest- packing, triple-bonded, fixed-end
arrangement corresponds with rigid-structure molecular compounds.

931.61 The closest-packing concept was developed in respect to spherical aggregates

with the convex and concave octahedra and vector equilibria spaces between the
spheres. Spherical closest packing overlooks a much closer packed condition of
energy structures, which, however, had been comprehended by organic
chemistry__that of quadrivalent and fourfold bonding, which corresponds to outright
congruence of the octahedra or tetrahedra themselves. When carbon transforms from
its soft, pressed-cake, carbon black powder (or charcoal) arrangement to its diamond
arrangement, it converts from the so-called closest arrangement of triple bonding to
quadrivalence. We call this self-congruence packing, as a single tetrahedron
arrangement in contradistinction to closest packing as a neighboring-group
arrangement of spheres.

931.62 Linus Pauling's X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that all metals are
tetrahedrally organized in configurations interlinking the gravitational centers of the
compounded atoms. It is characteristic of metals that an alloy is stronger when the
different metals' unique, atomic, constellation symmetries have congruent centers of
gravity, providing mid-edge, mid-face, and other coordinate, interspatial
accommodation of the elements' various symmetric systems.

931.63 In omnitetrahedral structuring, a triple-bonded linear, tetrahedral array may

coincide, probably significantly, with the DNA helix. The four unique quanta corners
of the tetrahedron may explain DNA's unzipping dichotomy as well as__T-A; G-
C__patterning control of all reproductions of all biological species.

932.00 Viral
Steerability

932.01 The four chemical compounds guanine, cytosine, thymine, and adenine,
whose first letters are GCTA, and of which DNA always consists in various paired
code pattern sequences, such as GC, GC, CG, AT, TA, GC, in which A and T are
always paired as are G and C. The pattern controls effected by DNA in all biological
structures can be demonstrated by equivalent variations of the four individually

75
 unique spherical radii of two unique pairs of spheres which may be centered in any
variation of series that will result in the viral steerability of the shaping of the DNA
tetrahelix prototypes. (See Sec. 1050.00 et. seq.)

932.02 One of the main characteristics of DNA is that we have in its helix a structural
patterning instruction, all four-dimensional patterning being controlled only by
frequency and angle modulatability. The coding of the four principal chemical
compounds, GCTA, contains all the instructions for the designing of all the patterns
known to biological life. These four letters govern the coding of the life structures.
With new life, there is a parent-child code controls unzipping. There is a dichotomy
and the new life breaks off from the old with a perfect imprint and control, wherewith
in turn to produce and design others.

933.00 Tetraheli
x

933.01 The tetrahelix is a helical array of triple-bonded tetrahedra. (See Illus. 933.01)
We have a column of tetrahedra with straight edges, but when face-bonded to one
another, and the tetrahedra's edges are interconnected, they altogether form a
hyperbolic-parabolic, helical column. The column spirals around to make the helix,
Fig. and it takes just ten tetrahedra to complete one cycle of the helix.
933.01

933.02 This tetrahelix column can be equiangle-triangular, triple-ribbon-wave

produced as in the methodology of Secs. 930.10 and 930.20 by taking a ribbon three-
panels wide instead of one-panel wide as in Sec. 930.10. With this triple panel folded
along both of its interior lines running parallel to the three-band-wide ribbon's outer
edges, and with each of the three bands interiorly scribed and folded on the lines of
the equiangle-triangular wave pattern, it will be found that what might at first seem to
promise to be a straight, prismatic, three-edged, triangular-based column __upon
matching the next-nearest above, wave interval, outer edges of the three panels
together (and taping them together)__will form the same tetrahelix column as that
which is produced by taking separate equiedged tetrahedra and face-bonding them
together. There is no distinguishable difference, as shown in the illustration.

933.03 The tetrahelix column may be made positive (like the right-hand-threaded
screw) or negative (like the left-hand-threaded screw) by matching the next-nearest-
below wave interval of the triple-band, triangular wave's outer edges together, or by
starting the triple-bonding of separate tetrahedra by bonding in the only alternate
manner provided by the two possible triangular faces of the first tetrahedron furthest
away from the starting edge; for such columns always start and end with a
tetrahedron's edge and not with its face.

933.04 Such tetrahelical columns may be made with regular or irregular tetrahedral
components because the sum of the angles of a tetrahedron's face will always be 720
degrees, whether regular or asymmetric. If we employed asymmetric tetrahedra they
would have six different edge lengths, as would be the case if we had four different
diametric balls__G, C, T, A__and we paired them tangentially, G with C, and T with A,
and we then nested them together (as in Sec. 623.12), and by continuing the columns
in any different combinations of these pairs we would be able to modulate the rate of
angular changes to design approximately any form.

76
 933.05 This synergetics' tetrahelix is capable of demonstrating the molecular-
compounding characteristic of the Watson-Crick model of the DNA, that of the
deoxyribonucleic acid. When Drs. Watson, Wilkins, and Crick made their famous
model of the DNA, they made a chemist's reconstruct from the information they were
receiving, but not as a microscopic photograph taken through a camera. It was simply
a schematic reconstruction of the data they were receiving regarding the relevant
chemical associating and the disassociating. They found that a helix was developing.

933.06 They found there were 36 rotational degrees of arc accomplished by each
increment of the helix and the 36 degrees aggregated as 10 arc increments in every
complete helical cycle of 360 degrees. Although there has been no identification of
the tetrahelix column of synergetics with the Watson-Crick model, the numbers of the
increments are the same. Other molecular biologists also have found a correspondence
of the tetrahelix with the structure used by some of the humans' muscle fibers.

933.07 When we address two or more positive or two or more negative tetrahelixes
together, the positives nestle their angling forms into one another, as the negatives
nestle likewise into one another's forms.

933.08 Closest Packing of Different-sized Balls:It could be that the CCTA tetrahelix
derives from the closest packing of different-sized balls. The Mites and Sytes (see
Sec. 953) could be the tetrahedra of the GCTA because they are both positive-
negative and allspace filling.

Appendix III

A006003 n * (n^2 + 1) / 2. 73
(Formerly M3849)
0, 1, 5, 15, 34, 65, 111, 175, 260, 369, 505, 671, 870, 1105, 1379, 1695, 2056, 2465, 2925, 3439,
4010, 4641, 5335, 6095, 6924, 7825, 8801, 9855, 10990, 12209, 13515, 14911, 16400, 17985,
19669, 21455, 23346, 25345, 27455, 29679, 32020, 34481(list; graph; refs; listen; history; text;
internal format)
OFFSET 0,3
COMMENTS Comment from Felice Russo: Write the natural numbers in groups: 1; 2,3; 4,5,6;
7,8,9,10; ... and add the groups. In other words, "sum of the next n natural
numbers".
Number of rhombi in an n X n rhombus, if 'crossformed' rhombi are allowed -
Matti De Craene (Matti.DeCraene(AT)rug.ac.be), May 14 2000
Also the sum of the integers between T(n-1)+1 and T(n), the n-th triangular number
(A000217). Sum of n-th row of A000027 regarded as a triangular array.
Unlike the cubes which have a similar definition, it is possible for 2 elements of
this sequence to sum to a third. E.g. a(36)+a(37)=23346+25345=48691=a(46).
Might be called 2nd order triangular numbers, thus defining 3rd order triangular
numbers (A027441) as n(n^3+1)/2, etc... - Jon Perry, Jan 14 2004
Also as a(n)=(1/6)*(3*n^3+3*n), n>0: structured trigonal diamond numbers (vertex
structure 4) (Cf. A000330 = alternate vertex; A000447 = structured diamonds;
A100145 for more on structured numbers). - James A. Record
(james.record(AT)gmail.com), Nov. 7, 2004.
The sequence M(n) of magic constants for n X n magic squares (numbered 1
through n^2) from n=3 begins M(n)=15, 34, 65, 111, 175, 260, ... - Lekraj

77
 Beedassy, Apr 16 2005. [Comment corrected by Colin Hall, Sep 11 2009]
The sequence Q(n) of magic constants for the n-queens problem in chess begins 0,
0, 0, 0, 34, 65, 111, 175, 260, ... - Paul Muljadi, Aug 23, 2005.
Alternate terms of A057587. - Jeremy Gardiner, Apr 10 2005
Also partial differences of A063488(n) = (2*n-1)*(n^2-n+2)/2. a(n) = A063488(n) -
A063488(n-1) for n>1. - Alexander Adamchuk, Jun 03 2006
In an n x n grid of numbers from 1 to n^2, select -- in any manner -- one number
from each row and column. Sum the selected numbers. The sum is independent
of the choices and is equal to the n-th term of this sequence. - F.-J. Papp
(fjpapp(AT)umich.edu), Jun 06 2006
Sequence allows us to find X values of the equation:(X-Y)^3-(X+Y)=0. To find Y
values: b(n)=(n^3-n)/2. - Mohamed Bouhamida (bhmd95(AT)yahoo.fr), May 16
2006
For the equation: m*(X-Y)^k-(X+Y)=0 with X>=Y,k>=2 and m is an odd number
the X values are given by the sequence defined by: a(n)=(m*n^k+n)/2. The Y
values are given by the sequence defined by: b(n)=(m*n^k-n)/2. - Mohamed
Bouhamida (bhmd95(AT)yahoo.fr), May 16 2006
If X is an n-set and Y a fixed 3-subset of X then a(n-3) is equal to the number of 4-
subsets of X intersecting Y. - Milan Janjic, Jul 30 2007
(m*(2n)^k+n, m*(2n)^k-n) solves the Diophantine equation: 2m*(X-Y)^k-
(X+Y)=0 with X>=Y,k>=2 where m is a natural integer. - Mohamed Bouhamida
(bhmd95(AT)yahoo.fr), Oct 02 2007
Also c^(1/2) in a^(1/2) + b^(1/2) = c^(1/2) such that a^2 + b = c. - Cino Hilliard
(hillcino368(AT)hotmail.com), Feb 09 2008
Number of units of a(n) belongs to a periodic sequence: 0, 1, 5, 5, 4, 5, 1, 5, 0, 9, 5,
1, 0, 5, 9, 5, 6, 5, 5, 9. [From Mohamed Bouhamida (bhmd95(AT)yahoo.fr), Sep
04 2009]
The n-th row sums of Floyd's triangle are 1, 5, 15, 34, 65, 111, 175, 260, .... [From
Paul Muljadi, Jan 25 2010]
a(n) = n*A000217(n) - sum(A001477(i), i=0..n-1). [Bruno Berselli, Apr 25 2010]
a(n) is the number of triples (w,x,y) having all terms in {0,...n} such that at least
one of these inequalities fails: x+y<w, y+w<x, w+x<y. [Clark Kimberling, Jun
14 2012]
Sum of n-th row of the triangle in A209297. - Reinhard Zumkeller, Jan 19 2013
a(n) = A000217(n) + n*A000217(n-1). [Bruno Berselli, Jun 07 2013]
REFERENCE J.-M. De Koninck, Ces nombres qui nous fascinent, Entry 15, pp 5, Ellipses, Paris
S
2008.
M. Janjic and B. Petkovic, A Counting Function, arXiv preprint arXiv:1301.4550,
2013. - From N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 13 2013
S. M. Losanitsch, Die Isomerie-Arten bei den Homologen der Paraffin-Reihe,
Chem. Ber. 30 (1897), 1917-1926.
T. P. Martin, Shells of atoms, Phys. Reports, 273 (1996), 199-241, eq. (11).
F.-J. Papp, Colloquium Talk, Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan-
Dearborn, 2006 March 6
N. J. A. Sloane and Simon Plouffe, The Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences,
Academic Press, 1995 (includes this sequence).
LINKS T. D. Noe, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..1000
J. D. Bell, A translation of Leonhard Euler's "De Quadratis Magicis", E795
Milan Janjic, Two Enumerative Functions
Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics, Magic Constant.
Wikipedia, Floyd's triangle [From Paul Muljadi, Jan 25 2010]
Index entries for sequences related to linear recurrences with constant coefficients
Index entries for sequences related to magic squares

78
FORMULA binomial(n, 3)+binomial(n-1, 3)+binomial(n-2, 3).
G.f.: x*(1+x+x^2)/(x-1)^4. - Floor van Lamoen (fvlamoen(AT)hotmail.com), Feb
11 2002.
Partial sums of A005448, centered triangular numbers: 3n(n-1)/2 + 1. - Jonathan
Vos Post, Mar 16 2006
Binomial transform of [1, 4, 6, 3, 0, 0, 0,...] = (1, 5, 15, 34, 65,...). - Gary W.
Adamson, Aug 10 2007
a(-n) = -a(n). - Michael Somos, Dec 24 2011
a(n) = sum_{k = 1..n} A(k-1, k-1-n) where A(i, j) = i^2 + i*j + j^2 + i + j + 1. -
Michael Somos, Jan 02 2012
a(n) = 4*a(n-1) - 6*a(n-2) + 4*a(n-3) - a(n-4), with a(0)=0, a(1)=1, a(2)=5,
a(3)=15. Harvey P. Dale, May 16 2012
a(n) = 3*a(n-1) - 3*a(n-2) + a(n-3) + 3. - Ant King, Jun 13 2012
EXAMPLE x + 5*x^2 + 15*x^3 + 34*x^4 + 65*x^5 + 111*x^6 + 175*x^7 + 260*x^8 + ...
MAPLE with (combinat):seq((fibonacci(4, n)+n^3)/4, n=0..41); - Zerinvary Lajos
(zerinvarylajos(AT)yahoo.com), May 25 2008
MATHEMATI Table[ n(n^2 + 1)/2, {n, 0, 45}]
CA
LinearRecurrence[{4, -6, 4, -1}, {0, 1, 5, 15}, 50] Harvey P. Dale, May 16 2012
PROG (PARI) { v=vector(100, i, i*(i^2+1)/2); x=vector(1275); c=0; for (i=1, 50, for (j=i,
50, x[c++ ]=v[j]-v[i])); for (k=1, 1275, for (l=1, 100, if (x[k]==v[l], print(x[k]);
break))) } (Perry)
(PARI) {a(n) = n * (n^2 + 1) / 2} /* Michael Somos, Dec 24 2011 */
(Haskell)
a006003 n = n * (n ^ 2 + 1) `div` 2
a006003_list = scanl (+) 0 a005448_list
-- Reinhard Zumkeller, Jun 20 2013
CROSSREFS Cf. A000330, A000537, A066886, A057587, A027480.
Cf. A000578 (cubes).
Cf. A007742, A005449.
(1/12)*t*(n^3-n)+n for t = 2, 4, 6, ... gives A004006, A006527, A006003, A005900,
A004068, A000578, A004126, A000447, A004188, A004466, A004467,
A007588, A062025, A063521, A063522, A063523.
Antidiagonal sums of array in A000027.
Cf. A005448.
Cf. A063488 - Sum of two consecutive terms.
Cf. A118465.
Cf. A226449. [Bruno Berselli, Jun 09 2013]
Cf. A034262.
Cf. A080992.
Sequence in context: A147264 A147150 A162513 * A111385 A026101 A084288
Adjacent sequences: A006000 A006001 A006002 * A006004 A006005 A006006
KEYWORD nonn,easy,nice
AUTHOR N. J. A. Sloane, Simon Plouffe
EXTENSIONS Better description from Albert Rich (Albert_Rich(AT)msn.com) 3/97.
More terms from Robert G. Wilson v, Apr 15 2002
This is a second attempt at correction, first submission is hereby withdrawn.
Corrected comment by Lekraj Beedassy on magic squares. n=2 does not exist,
not strictly correct to set M(2)=0 Colin Hall, Sep 11 2009
STATUS
approved

79
Appendix IV

Forgetful functor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

In mathematics, in the area of category theory, a forgetful functor

(also known as a stripping functor) 'forgets' or drops some or all of
the input's structure or properties 'before' mapping to the output. For
an algebraic structure of a given signature, this may be expressed by
curtailing the signature: the new signature is an edited form of the old
one. If the signature is left as an empty list, the functor is simply to
take the underlying set of a structure. Because many structures in
mathematics consist of a set with an additional added structure, a
forgetful functor that maps to the underlying set is the most common
case.

Introduction

As examples, there are several forgetful functors from the category of

commutative rings. A (unital) ring, described in the language of
universal algebra, is an ordered tuple (R,+,*,a,0,1) satisfying certain
axioms, where "+" and "*" are binary functions on the set R, a is a
unary operation corresponding to additive inverse, and 0 and 1 are
nullary operations giving the identities of the two binary operations.
Deleting the 1 gives a forgetful functor to the category of rings
without unit; it simply "forgets" the unit. Deleting "*" and 1 yields a
functor to the category of abelian groups, which assigns to each ring R
the underlying additive abelian group of R. To each morphism of rings is
assigned the same function considered merely as a morphism of addition
between the underlying groups. Deleting all the operations gives the
functor to the underlying set R.

It is beneficial to distinguish between forgetful functors that "forget

structure" versus those that "forget properties". For example, in the
above example of commutative rings, in addition to those functors that
delete some of the operations, there are functors that forget some of
the axioms. There is a functor from the category CRing to Ring that
forgets the axiom of commutativity, but keeps all the operations.
Occasionally the object may include extra sets not defined strictly in

80
terms of the underlying set (in this case, which part to consider the
underlying set is a matter of taste, though this is rarely ambiguous in
practice). For these objects, there are forgetful functors that forget
the extra sets that are more general.

Most common objects studied in mathematics are constructed as underlying

sets along with extra sets of structure on those sets (operations on the
underlying set, privileged subsets of the underlying set, etc.) which
may satisfy some axioms. For these objects, a commonly considered
forgetful functor is as follows. Let be any category based on sets,
e.g. groups - sets of elements - or topological spaces - sets of
'points'. As usual, write for the objects of and write for
the morphisms of the same. Consider the rule:

in the underlying set of

in the morphism, , as a map of sets.

The functor is then the forgetful functor from to , the category

of sets.

Forgetful functors are almost always faithful. Concrete categories have

forgetful functors to the category of sets—indeed they may be defined
as those categories that admit a faithful functor to that category.

Forgetful functors that only forget axioms are always fully faithful;
every morphism that respects the structure between objects that satisfy
the axioms automatically also respects the axioms. Forgetful functors
that forget structures need not be full; some morphisms don't respect
the structure. These functors are still faithful though; distinct
morphisms that do respect the structure are still distinct when the
structure is forgotten. Functors that forget the extra sets need not be
faithful; distinct morphisms respecting the structure of those extra
sets may be indistinguishable on the underlying set.

In the language of formal logic, a functor of the first kind removes

axioms. The second kind removes predicates. The third kind remove types.

An example of the first kind is the forgetful functor Ab → Grp. One of

the second kind is the forgetful functor Ab → Set. A functor of the
third kind is the functor Mod → Ab, where Mod is the fibred category of
all modules over arbitrary rings. To see this, just choose a ring

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homomorphism between the underlying rings that does not change the ring
action. Under the forgetful functor, this morphism yields the identity.
Note that an object in Mod is a tuple, which includes a ring and an
abelian group, so which to forget is a matter of taste.

Left Adjoint: Free

Forgetful functors tend to have left adjoints, which are 'free'

constructions. For example:

• free module: the forgetful functor from (the category of -module) to

has left adjoint , with , the free -module with
basis .
• free group
• free lattice
• tensor algebra
• free category, adjoint to the forgetful functor from categories to quivers

For a more extensive list, see (Mac Lane 1997).

As this is a fundamental example of adjoints, we spell it out:

adjointness means that given a set X and an object (say, an R-module) M,
maps of sets correspond to maps of modules :
every map of sets yields a map of modules, and every map of modules
comes from a map of sets.

In the case of vector spaces, this is summarized as: "A map between
vector spaces is determined by where it sends a basis, and a basis can
be mapped to anything."

Symbolically:

The unit of the free-forget adjunction is the "inclusion of a basis":

.

Fld, the category of fields, furnishes an example of a forgetful functor

with no adjoint. There is no field satisfying a free universal property
for a given set.

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