Number,Measure,Weught--The Art and Science of Platonic Solid

• Main Authors: Chang Ren-Jenq, 張仁政
• Other Authors: Ta-Long Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/51909465114930321299

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 美術學系在職進修碩士班 === 96 === Number, Measure, and Weight－The Paradigm Shift in Pursuing Reality Numero pondere et mensura Deus omnia condidit (Translation: God created everything by number, weight and measure.) Above is Newton’s famous quotation in “Principia Mathematica”. Numbering, measuring, and weighting came out from Plato’s “Republic”10- 602D. The purpose of Plato using numbering, measuring, and weighting is to affirm reasonal thinking, and to avoid the confusion of sensational experience. In “Philebus”55E. Plato emphasize again its importance: “if arithmetic, mensuration, and weighting be taken away from any art, that which remains will not be much.” Until today, the idea of numbering, measuring and weighting influence many art creators’ attitude, especially for the development of technology and design, this influence is more obvious. Plato thinks that all things are ordered according to the measuring, numbering and weighting. In his“Timaeus”, Plato mentioned 5 regular solids: Tetrahedron, Cube, Octahedron, Dodecahedron and Icosahedron, so called Platonic Solids. Platonic Solids are not only applied extensively in science, engineering and architecture, but also can be used as a good teaching material for the study of number-form reation in design. As the human techonogy civilization progress, the idea of numbering, measuring and weight are also changed. These evolutions produced some new paradigm shifts in the domain of design. Numbering for example, the Greek has only concept of integer, when one new numbering idea is developed, it brings naturally corresponding paradigm shift. The new technology and concept bring also the possibilities for new information design and interface design. For weighting, the idea of weight is change form the atom’s weight to the operation of weight, from mathematical balance and mechanics balance to psychological balance. And the algorithm with weighting functions has become not only the basis of vectorial computer drawing, but also can be used in aesthetic judgement. In summary, the main purpose of this study includes the following keypoints: 1. Starting from a Platonic Solid, we plan to find out its relation with measuring, numbering, weighting, and also study howt to use Platonic Solids as a teaching materica for 3D plastic design... 2. From Plato’s original interpretation about measuring, numbering and weighting, study their later evolutions. 3. Study the evolution of numbering, measuring and weighting toward the paradigm shift in Pursuing Reality.