THE FOURTH DIMENSION SIMPLY EXPLAINED

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cube, a pyramid, or a sphere, and if any one attempted to describe such objects to them it would be impossible to convey the correct idea to their minds.

Thus we can see how such creatures might live throughout the entire history of their race, in a world of only two dimensions, seeing and understanding only two dimensions, and yet with three dimensions lying all about them, extending out to infinity above their plane, and to infinity below it. Now, if there is a fourth dimension, it must encompass the three dimensions with which we are familiar in very much the same way that three-dimensional space surrounds the plane of two dimensions. If we should try to explain to the being who knows only two dimensions the meaning of the third dimension, we would probably begin by talking to him about one dimension, which, of course, he could easily understand. We would point out to him that if a straight line be drawn in one dimension, and then a second line drawn at right angles to the first, the two lines thus drawn would represent two dimensions. This he would understand perfectly. We would then pass to the next step, and explain to him that, starting from that same right angle, if we construct a third line perpendicular to both of the original lines at their point
Page 130 of intersection, we should then be in space of three dimensions. He would probably be able to follow the reasoning readily, but when he tried to form a picture in his imagination, it would be impossible for him to see how three lines could be perpendicular to one another at one and the same time and at the same point. It would be beyond his utmost power to trace this third line in space.

Practically, this same difficulty confronts us, when we try to pass from the notion of three dimensions to the notion of four dimensions. We know that two lines at right angles to each other lie in a plane of two dimensions. And we know that a third line can be constructed in such a manner that all three lines will be perpendicular to one another in the same point, and that the three directions in which these lines extend will represent the three dimensions of our space. All this is very familiar to us. Now, if we proceed one step further, and construct a line meeting these three lines in their point of intersection, and perpendicular at one and the same time to all three of them, this fourth line will extend in the direction of the fourth dimension. We can follow the reasoning to this point, but when we try to construct the last line, we are in the same position as the being in two dimensions, who could not imagine what direction the third perpendicular would take. When we have found out how to draw four lines, meeting in a point, each of which shall be perpendicular to all the other three, we will have solved the problem of the fourth dimension; or at least we will be very warm, as the children say. The square of any number, a, is written a, and it may be represented graphically by a flat surface bounded by four equal straight lines, whose length is a,
Page 131 and by four right angles. This requires only two dimensions.

The cube of the same number is written a, and is represented graphically by a solid figure of three dimensions, bounded by six squares, each equal to a. Its angles are formed by three edges meeting in a point, each edge being perpendicular to the other two. Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com