Supersolids: Solids Having Finite Volume and Infinite Surfaces By WILLIAM P. LOVE Ae and interesting class of geo- metric solids exists that I have named supersolida. A supersolid is a bounded solid Ghat has finite volume and infinite surtace area, A bounded solid is one that may be contained inside a sphere having finite radius, Supersolids are interesting beeause they ely our intuitive sense of reality. How ean ‘an object have a finite volume and have an infinite eurface aroa? Such paradoxical concepts fascinate students. If it were physically possible to construct a super solid, one could create @ planet using a finite amount of material and have unlimi- ted surface area. This planet might eolve tho population problem, since everyone could have an infinite amount of land, ‘The study of supersolids is useful for the firat-yoar calculus teacher. Those solids are definitely nonroutine and are rarely seen in any calculus textbook. Because of their curious properties, students aro highly mo: tivated to investigate these solids to show that their volume is finite and their area is infinite. The moze advanced and creative students may be encouraged to discover now and unusual supersolids of their own. ‘Tho fraditional calculus curriculum in- trodueet the concept of integration before the concept of infinite sevies. Students use integration techniques to find the areas and volumes of solids of revolution and other solids, Students are frequently confused when introduced to infinite sories because ‘Willian Lave teaches et the Unioaralty of North Carol sha at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27419. He i inteeat 4 in preparation of methenatis tachore, problems in feaching eaiculue, Limits of functions, actos, and in fiir. go they sae no conerete need or application for them. Supersolids furnish an ideal introdue: tion to this topic because students can visu: alize a situation requiring infinite series. Supersolids are therefore useful for combin- ing two major concepts in calculus: inte- gration and infinite series. Five examples of supersolids are pre- sented here # The supereone © The supereube # Phe superpyramid I # The superpyramid IT © The supersine solid ‘The first four are solids generated using el- emontary geometzy and infinite series, Only a few basie properties of infinite series are required, and the concepts are easily under stood by most students, The last example is a solid of revolution, which requires number of integration principles as well as infinite series, ‘The Supercone ‘The supercone is formed by taking an intl nite sequence of right triangles on the in- terval [0, 2} and rovolving them around the axis to form an infinite sequence of right ciroular cones as shown in figure 1. Let Ty, +77, represent the infinite se quence of triangles and let Cy, Oy, Cy). GC, represent the corresponding infinite se quonce of cones formed when the triangles are revolved around the axis, The super cono is the union of thesa cones, which we denote S.C, Define the triangle 7, to have the fol- lowing: Mathematice TeacherFig. 1. Supetcone: Av intinite sequence of right angles ievolvod around the ‘rane gonorating Haht ‘Steular corms Basé length, Ajititude = 1 Hypotenuse, i,;—/P 4 b= /T Fa Therefore, C,, the right eixeular cone formed whon 'T, is revolved arotind the x axis, will hive’ the following volume and lateral surface atea ya" Volume = 1/3 (area base)altitude) = Y/8-n-vadius* altitude = 18-m-1d, yen yah Surfaeé area = area base + lateral area = radius? + x-radius slant height SUP tetchy wis fF) ‘The following argument proves that the supercone, ¥) C,, has nite volume and inf ite surface area. Cleaily, it is bounded. steswary 1989 Hence, the supercone has finite volume, ‘Area of supereone = 3. area of C, =Eeaty) =m St, which is infinite, Hence, the supetcone has infinite eurface area. ‘The Supercutio. ‘Tho supereube is formed by drilling dn inf nite sequence of cylindrical holes in a eube with edge equal to one unit. The holes de- crease iri size but become more numérous as they get smaller as shown in figure 2. The Fig, 2. Supercube: Dri an infinite dequence of holes Ta cube having edge equa tone uni 61 $ was vivia) i ‘era ea fev meet ny of the holes drilled in radii rye rae P5400 cylindrical hole with radius r, has a lateral surface arca, 8, Be ryt = Wf Notice that two holes have radius 7, four holes have midius r,, and 2 holes have radius r,. ‘Tho following argument proves that the suporeube has finite volume end infinite surface area, Clearly, itis bounded. Volume = volume of cube — ¥ volume of holes ‘s volume of cube sl Surface area = aren of 4 square faces Hence, the supercube has finite volume. + area of 2 ends with holes | | + ¥ lateral area of all holes > ¥ lateral area of all holes i 7 | ¥ (number holes with radive ateral i oon, git type E is which is infinite. Hence, the supercube has infinite surface area, ‘The Superpyramid | ‘The superpyramid I is the union of inf. nitely many triangular-based pyramids con- structed on an equilateral triangular region as shown in figure 3. Let Py, Py, Py, ---» Py be the sequence of pyramids forming the cuperpyvamid I. Dofine pyramid P, to have : an equilateral triangular base whose Iength in 6, = 1/2 and three triangular faces (ex- j cluding base) with the altitude of each face 62 equal to one unit. Therefore, P, has a volume and a Interal surface ares as fol- lows: Volume = 1/9: area base altitude pyramid = 1/8-(/S/)b2- altitude pyrantid = 1/8-/5f"? altitude pysamid ss Jann = y/3-1ya?*? J.ateral area — 3-(area triangular face) =3-(1/2- base altitude) =3-(172- BT) =a grt Notice that we have one P, pyramid, three P, pyramids, nine P, pyramids, and (8"~") P, pyramids. We denote the superpyramid I by 5 P,. 5 pyramid P, Fig. 3. Superpyrami 1 The wolon of iatinitely many ‘angiler based pyramids constructed on an eqeaaterat ‘wang reaion Meshemetis Poacher oy‘The following argument proves that YP, has finite volume and infinite surface area. Clearly, it is bounded. Volume = 5° yolume of all P, (umber of pyramids P,) (volume single P) = ¥ @Ywolume P) = ¥ er yay/esp) = ya E artnet =e ¥ way = 16 fi = 4/5, which is nite, Hence, the superpyramid 1 has finite volume. Area ~ J. surface area of all P, = © coumbor of pysamias P,) (area single P,) Yr er yea) =n: ¥ ery, which is infinite. Hence, the superpyramid I has infinite surface area, ‘The Superpyramid It ‘The superpyramid II is the union of inf nitely many square>based pyramids con: structed on a 1% 1 square region as shown in figure 4. Let Py, Py, Py,-..,P, be the sequence of pyramids forming the super pyramid II, Define pyramid P, to have a square base whose length is 8, = 1/3" and four isosceles triangular faces’ (excluding dase) with the altitude of each faco equal lo fone unit. Therefore, P, has the following volume and lateral surface area January 1986 Volume 2 area base: altitude pyramid = 1/3 b2 altitude pyramid Lateral aren = 4 (area triangular face) = 4-(1/2- base altitude) = 4-02-18" 1) fa" Notice that we have five P, pyramids, twenty P, pyramids, eighty P, pyramids, and G-4"") P, pyramids, We denote the superpyramid IT by 3° P, ‘The following “argument proves that YP, has finite volume and infinite surface ‘area, Clearly, it is bounded. pyramid P, Fig. 4. Superpytamid Il The union of inintaly many square-based pyramids contracted on a1 9 square ‘eai0n 8Volume ~ 3° volume of all P, E oumber pyramids P2 (volume single P,) * s¥ ee nage) = ¥ Gana? = GANGS) = 1/3, whieh is finite. Hence, the superpyramid IT thas finite volume. Aren = ¥ surface area of all P, Esai (area single P,) 6-aNep) 1098 Fay, which is infinite. Hence, the superpyramid has infinite surfice area. ‘The Supersine Solid ‘The supersine solid is formed by revolving. ‘the trigonometric function f(x) = sin (I/x) around the x-axis over the interval (0, 2/] Figure 6 shows a graph of f(x) = sin(1/x) ovor this intorval. The following argument proves that the supersine solid has finite volume and infinite surface area. Clearly, it is bounded. Fin, 5, Supersine soli: Revolve fle) = sin (1/5) oun the aan over interval (0, Z/x] pa ssestsessisaiseeeseseeseseeseeeeuees Volume = volume of f(z) revolved around seaxis over (0, 2] volume of cylinder with radius of Vover [0, 2/x] which is finite. Hence, the supersine solid has finite volume. Tho surface area of the supersine solid can be found by using the integral for sur faces of solids of revolution found in most. elementary caloulus texts Aron = [ BAA VL FTP OP ae where ((2) = sin (1/2) over interyal (0, 2/x) Area =I) 2n|sin (1/x)| 1+ C/x4) eos? (1/z) dx By letting w= fx, du = ~(I/x*) dx, 80 that dx = —duju*; and by roplacing the bounds x=0 and x= %p with u=c and u—x/2 and using the fact that [rea [reas wo got ses = an [” sinal VOIAP F costs au le ete if loin u| Jeos™w du =n [iso jeosse| du [7 Ii tt ln Fig. 6. Graph ofy = [sin 245 Mathematics Teacheraa | | | | Figure 6 shows the graph y=] sin 2u|. ‘Observe that the pattern over the interval [x/2, 1] is repented infinitely many times. ‘Thus, by symmetry we can write Aron 5 {fbn au}. Since sin 2u ia negative over the interval [2/2 a), we replace [sin 2x| with ~sin 2u to get dower B {ff sete} iF (Ceon2tia) 2 z [eos 2n — cos x} 2S i, which is infinite, Hence, the supersine solid has an infinite surface area, Conelusion Students find the study of supersolids in- teresting and educational. Once they under- stand the principles, thoy can ereate numar- ous examples of supersolids. Most solids ‘ean bo transformed into supersolids if you “wrinkle” their surface enough. Fractal curves can be revolved to form fractal solids. Supersolids lend an excellent op- portunity to encourage creative and orig- inal thinking in mathematics, ax well as using some calculus techniques. It should bo noted that all bounded solids must have a finite volume, However, it is fun to prove that their volume is finite. In addition, & supersolid planet would not necessarily solve the population problem, since an infinite area may be covered by 2 single footprint. Having investigated solids with a finite volume and infinite surface, students might consider the problem of solids having finite surface area and infinite volume. Such a solid is found in a scionce fiction novel by Greg Bear (1985). Good luck. SFanuary 1989. REFERENCES Bear, Gros. Han. Now York: Tom Doherty Associntos, 1865 ‘Cousant, Richard, and Horbert Robbing. Whot Ie Moth ‘ematica® New York: Oxfard University Press 180 ‘MelGimm, James, “The Problem of Galax: Tinto Area evs Finite Volume.” ‘Mathematics ‘Teacher (Apel 1981)-254-96, ago, Tibor. "What Is the Arva of a Surface?” Ameri ‘oan Mathematica! Monthly 60 (alae 1943)-139-1 Bwokowsl, Hael W. Calculus with Analytic Geometry. “id ed, Boston: Prinalo, Wabor, & Schmitt, 1984. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona ‘3801 W. Temple Avenue Pomona, GA 91768 “The Teacher Preparation Centar and Mathematics De- partment mainaincooperatve acti In math edu. Each has atenure-Vack cpering. Individuals may app'y for either or both postions. Requites: earned deciocate in math. edie. or related fol, abil to foach math ‘duc. courses, teaching exparionce K-12 and related research aves. Appicalon, resume, vanscrt, and Sleters of reference postmarked by 2/3/89, Matnomaties Dapartmont additional requrements: must be quali to teach service coursas in math For turther information or application contact Search Commitee, Mat. Dept, Schoo! of Soienco Teacher Preperation Center adctonal requiremonts: qualified to teach microcomputer education and super ‘ise studonttoachors. For urher information or plea. tion contact: Math. Ede. Soarcn Commitee, Tecoher Preparation Center NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS ‘AND COMPUTER SCIENCE. ‘Tree trurotrack positon bagolng August, 1989. One Bouton Ta computor soneo, Arba fr the thor Wo Bsvons ara open. Persone in caconcary or mile sche ‘mathematics wih a e¥ong matherati bockaroune and Doteone In OR ara paricvary encouraged to spp. Responsibilities inlude undoraraduate teaching (12 heearoster) sel att, end series, The arenas [Eon muaty aching, Asodomin soiled. ABD wi be orakord provided al requierors fer he Gott wll ‘emet by Agua #5, 088. The doparmont has 25 fllime and 14 parttime facuty rember and 260 mje. NKUtsoceoeoaven mic om Soman Chia, OH eva of spatcana wl bega February 18, 1989. Apply Profeasor Frank Dietrich, Chalr cf Séarch Commies, Department of Mathameilee and Computer Selene, Nortare Kentucky Unversity Highland Heights, Y 41076. AKU a4 Aeaton Acnqual Opparunty Employer and ‘eats te canaoay of mabe and women. 65