Seventeen Parts of A Circle |
It was not until the 19th century that the great Germany mathematician Guass proved that for an odd number n, a ruler and a compass can be used to divide a circle into n equal sectors only when n is a Fermat prime number or the product of different Fermat prime numbers. He himself make a regular seventeen-sided polygon with a compass and a ruler. (1) make a circle and draw two diameters vertically with each other. Get two points in the circle P and B; (2) make OJ=1/4OB, and make ∠OJE=1/4∠OJPO, ∠FJE=45° (3) Draw a circle with line FPO as diameter, it intersects the line OB at K, draw a circle with E as center, line EK as radius. It intersects line OPO at N5 and N3. (4) Draw a parallel line across N5 and N3. It intersects Circle O at P5 and P3, and then equally depart line P5P3, get the point P4; (5) Line P3P4 is just one line of the sixteen-polygon. Using this line’s length to cut the Circle O can get every point. Guass found the ways to draw a sixteen-polygon by using of the ruler and compass in his 18 years old. From then on he began his splendent mathematic career and become the greatest mathematician in first-half period of 19th century. |