Hahn examines the mathematics at work in great buildings in a compelling and richly illustrated new book, “Mathematical Excursions to the World’s Great Buildings,” published by Princeton University Press.
“Mathematical Excursions” discuss the pyramids of Egypt; the Parthenon in Athens; the Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome; the Hagia Sophia; historic mosques; great Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals; some of Palladio’s villas; the U.S. Capitol; and three icons of the 20th century: the Sydney Opera House, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
“The mathematics provides insights that verbal descriptions or even sets of images cannot convey.”
The idea for the book grew out of Hahn’s long-standing interest in architecture, especially European architecture, and the many informative conversations he has had over the years with his friends and colleagues in Notre Dame’s School of Architecture.