Ropes, Rods & the Mathematics of the Pyramid
Here is another article from Assem Deif, professor of mathematics at Cairo University and Misr University for Science and Technology.
“What about the Egyptian value for the Golden Ratio Phi? In calculating the hypotenuse of the triangle of base 220c and height 280c, it is equal from the Pythagoras theorem to the square root of the sum of 48400 and 78400 (notice the resemblance between the digits) to be 356.0898763. Flinders Petrie noticed that the dimensions of this triangle were multiples of 4 cubits, since the base equals 55 times 4 whereas the hypotenuse is 89. It might be mere coincidence that the two numbers 55 and 89 are the 10th and 11th terms in the Fibonacci sequence, with Phi as the limit of its successive quotients. Thus the secant of the angle of inclination of the pyramid face on its base is 89/55 = 1.61818…, far more accurate than the one calculated in my last article. The Egyptian constants are now possibly: Pi = 22/7, Phi = 89/55.”
Read the rest of the story at Al-Ahram
