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The calculus of Gothic architecture 

Author: Michael R. Huber a
Affiliation:   a Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Muhlenberg College, Allentown Pennsylvania 18104, USA
DOI: 10.1080/17513470903150042
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Volume 3, Issue 3 September 2009 , pages 147 - 153
Formats available: HTML (English) : PDF (English)
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Abstract

When you look at the facade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, what do you see? The rectangular towers, classical Gothic arches, massive domes and stained glass rose windows of this famous cathedral offer excellent examples of areas for students to calculate via integration. Most modern calculus texts use simple examples of finding the area of an ellipse or circle when incorporating trigonometric substitution. This article describes an approach for instructors of single variable integral calculus courses in calculating the areas and volumes of Gothic structures which have incorporated the quinto acuto arch. Further, students do not have to travel far to find examples of Gothic architecture near their own campuses. Examples and sample calculations are provided.
Keywords: Gothic architecture; quinto acuto arch; trigonometric substitution; double-dome cupola; integral calculus
AMS Subject Classification: 00-01
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