SCIENCE IN REVELATION. ' 51 



SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY. 



SCIENCE IN REVELATION. 



BY REV. JAMES FRENCH. 



The quadrature of the circle, according to the Legendre modulus, is a math- 

 ematical problem which Archimedes worked at ineffectually ; but which was sup- 

 posed to have been solved first by Ludolf Van Keulen, of Holland, A.D. 1590. 

 He was so elated over his discovery, that he had the figures expressing the sym- 

 bol of it engraved on his tombstone as his memorial. The proportion of the 

 diameter to the circumference of a circle is the all-important factor in solving 

 this problem. The knowledge of this is so essential to advance mathematical 

 science and mechanic art, that it has received a name and a sign. Just as, for 

 convenience, multiplication is symbolized by a cross (X)? ^.nd equality by two 

 parallel lines (=), so is this proportion (i : 3.14159-I-) represented by the Greek 

 letter pi. 



But Ludolf Van Keulen never did discover this proportion to exactness, nor 

 even the true scientific method of solving the problem. He approached as near to 

 it as any other mathematician known to us. But all he really did was to square the 

 manv-sided polygon, contending that the quadrature of a circle was an impossibility, 

 like the meeting of two parallel lines. It has remained for the late John A. 

 Parker, of New York, to discover this real mathematical proportion, which, for 

 convenience, we will designate in this article as English (or "Brit"-ish P.) (P.) 

 to distinguish it from Greek pi. And J. Ralston Skinner, of Cincinnati has dis- 

 covered that the Parker formula was the identical one used by the architect of 

 the Great Pyramid in its construction, and also by Moses and Solomon in the 

 construction of the tabernacle and temple and their contents. 



Of course, in ordinary measurements, the pi proportion is near enough for 

 all practical purposes. But in the distances of the heavenly bodies, where the 

 circle of the zodiacal belt and the orbits of the so-called fixed-stars are to be meas- 

 ured, where a unit is multiplied by myriads of quadrillions, it becomes vastly 

 important that we have not only an exact proportion, but a true scientific method 

 of obtaining it. P begins to vary slightly from pi in the ■ sixth decimal figure, 

 thus : 



pi 3-14159265+ 



P exactly VsVi^ ^ expressed decimally 3.14159426-]- 



This Parker formula (P) we illustrate by a diagram in a manner so simple as 

 to be within the comprehension of a child. We inscribe the largest possible cir- 

 cle within a square. Then, as the area of this square is to four times the area of this 

 circle, so is the diameter of any circle to its circumference. 



