Symmetry 1

Prof. Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao

Ph.D., AvHSF, FNASc., FTNASc.
Senior Professor (Retd.), Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
Madras (1972 2002);
DST-Ramanujan Professor (Retd.), Srinivasa Ramanujan Center,
SASTRA University, Kumbakonam (2005 2009);
Scientist & Principal Investigator, TNSTC, at the PSTC, from April 2009.

Symmetry
Symmetry , from Greek symmetria , means "agreement in
dimensions,
due proportion, arrangement. In common language
symmetry refers
From
immemorial,
symmetry
in Nature
has fascinated
to a time
sense
of harmonious
and beautiful
proportion
and the
common
man, artists, architects, astronomers, mathematicians,
balance.
philosophers and physicists.

The ancient Greeks were obsessed with Symmetry and today

we tend to see symmetry in everything from A Z, our furniture
to hair-styling .
Like Beauty, Symmetry is also in the eye of the beholder!
Here we present a few exemplary examples of
symmetry.

What is meant by symmetry ?

Symmetry is the quality of being made up of exactly similar

parts facing each other or around an axis. For instance, the

picture has a line of symmetry through its centre.
In Physics and Mathematics symmetry is a law or operation

where a physical property or process has an equivalence in

two or more directions.
Mathematically, symmetry means that one shape becomes

exactly like another when you move it in some way: turn, flip
or slide. For two objects to be symmetrical, they must be the
same size and shape, with one object having a different
orientation from the first. There can also be symmetry in one
object, such as a face.
Murray Gellmann was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in

Physics for his work on the classification of elementary

particles using group theory having identified the SU(3)
flavour symmetry of hadrons.

Mathematical Imagery
The Connection between Mathematics and Art goes back to

several Millennia. The design of great architecturally

beautiful
palaces, Gothic Cathedrals, cut glass windows, mosaic
tiling has
been created with mathematical symmetries as their
basis.
The Dutch artist M.C. Escher (1898 1972)

is an orderly man who made inexhaustibly

extraordinary things, says The Guardian,
in connection with The Amazing World of
M.C. Escher (Scottish National Gallery of
Modern Art, 27 June 27 Sep. 2015): an
exhibition of > 100 prints and drawings of
Escher, from the Geemeentemuseum, The Hague, NL.

Axis of symmetry
An axis of symmetry divides the object into exactly two

halves such that each half is a perfect reflection of the

other the object can be folded along the line of axis
and the two halves overlap exactly. Most of the living
species have bilateral symmetry.
Regular 2-D shapes have the same number of

symmetries as their sides. For example :

Equilateral
triangle

Square

Regular
Pentagon

Regular
Hexagon

Regular
Octagon

Tetrahedral & Cubic

symmetries
A regular tetrahedron has 12 rotational (or orientation-

preserving) symmetries, and a symmetry order of 24

including transformations that combine a reflection and
a rotation.
A cube has 24 symmetries:

Let the Cartesian coordinate system pass through the

center of the cube.
Then 90 deg. rotations about each of the 3 axis, give rise
to 12 symmetries.
About each one of the 4 block diagonals, 120 deg.
rotations are symmetries, giving rise to 12 symmetries.
Label the sides of the cube as a, b, c, d, e, f, g. The author
has shown that the 24 Kummer solutions of the hypergeometric function 2F1(A,B;C;D) are related to the
subset
of 24 (out of the 6!) permutations of a, . . . , f.

From the Ant to the Zebra

ral symmetry is exhibited in all animals including the human. Exampl

Symmetry in Nature : spherical

Diameter of Sun : 1.4 M Km
Diameter of Moon: 3.474 Km
It seems almost impossible for
the moon to block the Suns
light . Then, how is it that
there are 5 Solar eclipses
every 2 years ?

While the Suns diameter is

~400 times larger, the Sun is
also about 400 times farther
away. The symmetry in this
ratio makes the Sun and the
Moon appear almost the same
Size when seen from the earth
and therefore, makes it possibl
for the moon to block the sun
Spectacular Solar Eclipse event!
When they are aligned.

Sunset : perfect spherical

symmetry

Symmetry in Nature : galaxy

Incredible design of the Milky

Way galaxy!

The laws of nature

are not
limited to our Earth
alone !
A new section on the
edge of
the Milky Way Galaxy,
which is
a near perfect mirror
image of
itself has been
discovered
recently. Scientists
are
Confident that the
galaxy has
only 2 major arms
called :
The Perseus and the

Force between two electric charges q 1 and q2 is:

F12 = K q1 q2 / r2

qp = qe =F21
1.6 x 1019 Coulomb

q1

F12

q2

K = 1/0 historically, 0 is the permittivity of free space.

= 9 x 109 [Nm2 / c2],
c is the velocity of light.
N = Coulomb2/ m2.

Newtons law of gravity between two masses m1 and m2 is

G12 = Fg m1 m2 / d2

Rainbows

e rainbow created in the mist of Niagara Falls

Rene Descartes
(1596 1650)

Rene Descartes
sketch of how
primary and
Secondary rainbows
are formed.

Amazing floral symmetry

Sun Flower

Amazing floral symmetry

Camellia
Japonica

Chrysanthemu
m

Symmetry types

Lily radial
symmetry

Hexagonal

Jelly fish (4way)

Septago
n

Sea star
(Pentamerous)

Octopus

Flowers & Botanical gardens

Tulip flower garden

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam

Botanical
garden in Pamplemousses,

Tulips & Tulip Gardens

Holland

Oregons Annual Tulip Fest

Symmetry in
flora

The sequence
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,
21,
34, 55, 89, 144,
where
Fn = Fn-1 +
Fn-2
with F0 = F1 = 1,
is
called a Fibonacci
Sequence.
The Sunflower
has
radial symmetry
and

Symmetry in the
cactus

The Fibonacci Sequence :

21, 34, 55, 89, 144,

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,

Symmetry in
shells

Some animals, like the Nautilus, exhibit Fibonacci numbers. The shell of
the nautilus is grown in a Fibonacci spiral. The spiral occurs because of
the shells attempt to maintain the same proportional shape as it grows
outward. Unlike in humans, the growth pattern of nautilus allows it to
maintain the same shape throughout its whole life.

Symmetry in Birds

Most animals have bilateral

Symmetry, down a central line
The Peacock used the whole
Symmetry to-attract a-mate
Darwin (1860) was peeved by
its plumes and in a letter wrote
that The sight of a feather in
a peacocks tail, whenever I ga
at it , makes me sick ! (as it d
not fit his concept of survival o
the fittest, until he formulate h
theory of sexual selection).
Peacocks have the required sexual selection to increase their
chances of attracting their ladies bright colours, large size,
and the perfect
symmetry in body-shape and repeated patterns of their
feathers!

Leaves

Mango Leaves

General shape

Alternate leaves
Opposite leaves
Leaves in whorls

Coconut / Palm Leaf used for thatching

cottage roofs

Mexican Fan Palm

Trees
Palm Tree
or Washington
Palm fruit (arecacae)
Palm or
Skyscraper.
Edible fruits are
sweet
and taste like
dates.

Coconut Tree
Coconut kernel

Symmetry in spiders web

The spider webs (~5000 types) are nearly perfectly circular,

with
almost equidistant radial supports coming out in the
middle and
a spiral woven to catch prey. The radial symmetry helps
to evenly
distribute the force of impact of the prey.

Symmetry in
snowflakes

The tiny snowflake is governed by the laws of order, a six-fold radial

Symmetry, with identical patterns on each of its arms. This is due to
the crystallization of water molecules water molecules change to a
solid state (with weak H-bonds) as each snowflake descends from the
Sky experiencing unique atmospheric (humidity, temp.) conditions.

Honeycomb symmetry
The honey bees seem to have an

Female Queen bee

inbuilt knack for geometry.

Their honeycombs have perfect
hexagonal (wall-paper) symmetry.
This perfect shape allows bees to
store the largest possible amount of
honey while using the least amount
of wax.
Other shapes, circles say, would
leave a gap between the cells since
they dont fit together exactly.
The skeptics believe that this
ingenuity of the bees is by accident
the bees simply make circular cells
which due to collapse of the wax
becomes a hexagon!
The study of Honey bees is known as
Melittology.

Honeycomb
symmetry
The bee builds the next cell starting

on the corner of other cells, which

are already have two walls built.
This simplicity protects the natural
growth of the hive, the continuity is
necessary for success. Micro-scale
generates simple inputs, which
collectively form the whole. As the
organism gets bigger, the possibility
to bring the whole information at
any given moment to every
individual becomes impossible.

Insects are a class of invertebrates within the

arthropod phylum that have a chitinous (horny cover)
exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and
abdomen) three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes
and one pair of antennae. They are among the most
diverse groups of animals on the planet, including
more than a million described species and representing
more than half of all known living organisms. The
number of extant species is estimated at between six
and ten million, and potentially represent over 90% of
the differing animal life forms on Earth.
Dancefly
Long nosed weevil

Insects
German wasp
Mole cricket

Emperor gum moth

Assassin Bug

Bug
s

Marine
animals

Butterflies

Birds

Crane
Indian Crow

Bald eagle
American Crow

Macaw

`Blue
Bird ?

Mirror symmetry in animals

Bilateral animals, including humans, are more or less symmetric w.r.to a
sagittal plane which divides the body into left and right halves. The body
is bilaterally symmetric to enable movement with symmetrical pairs of
muscles and skeletal elements (and internal asummetric organs).

Mirror symmetry in animals

A vertical line through the cente

shows that each side is a mirror ima
of the other. It is the axis of symmet

Deer with and without

horns

Ferocious
!

Tiger Temple in
Thailand

 1519)
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italiam Polymath : an

anatomist, architect, botanist, engineer, inventor, mathematician, musician, painter, scientist, sculptor, and writer.
Born as an illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci, a notary and

peasent girl, Caterina, at Vinci, a region of Florence. He was

educated in the studio of the renowned Florentinian painter
Verocchio. Much of his early life was spent in the services of
Lidovico. He worked in Rome, Bologna, and Venice and spent his
final years under the patronage of King Francois I, France.
Leonardo was described as the Renissance Man, considered

as one of the greatest painters of all time and most diversely

talented person who ever lived.
Only 15 paintings of Leonardo which have survived.
He was less productive because of his penchant for experiment-

ation with new techniques, and chronic procrastination.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 1519)

Renaissance Florentine Italian Polymath
Renowned for diverse fields of Arts and Sciences.
Mona Lisa, The last Supper, The Vitruvian Man and Lady with

an Ermine are his notable works and he is regarded as one of

the most diversely talented persons ever to have lived in the
world.
Besides painting and sculpting, he is known for his work in

the areas of architecture, science, music, mathematics,

engineering, invention, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany,
writing, history, and cartography.
He is referred to as the Father of paleontology, ichnology and

architecture. (ichnology study of plant and animal traces)

He is credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter

and the tank (a large armoured fighting vehicle).

Leonardo as an Engineer had ideas vastly ahead

of his times.
He conceptualized a Helicopter, a Tank, Solar

Power, a calculator, the double hull, and the

outline of a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics.
These were not feasible in his times.
His smaller inventions:

an automated bobbin winder,

a machine to test the tensile strength
of a wire,
made unheralded entry into manufacturing.
As a Scientist, he greatly advanced the state of

knowledge in the fields of Anatomy, Civil

Engineering, Optics and hydrodynamics.

Most famous works of Leonardo da Vinci

Mona Lisa
Enigmatic smile !
c. 1503-05
Self portrait of
Leonardo da Vinci

The Last Supper - 1520

Mona Lisa at the Louvre, France

Female head
(The Lady of
the
Dishevelled
Hair)

Drawing of a
Womans Torso

Drawings of Water Lifting

The Virgin and Child

with St Anne c. 1510

Vitruvian Man

Above : Assault Chariot with Scythes.

To the Left : Automobile design

Giant Crossbow

Group of Riders in the Battle

of Angiari 1503 1504.

Above: The Galloping rider

Flying Machine

Da Vincis : Cannons

Horse

Helicopter

Battle of Anghiari

Parabolic Compass

Flight of Birds

c. 1483.
Leonardo
Vincior simplyLeonardo(15 April
14522
May 1519),
Head ofda
a Condottieri
Head
of a Man
was anItalianpolymath whose areas of interest included anatomy ,
Head of a Girl
architecture, astronomy, botany, cartography,
engineering, geology, history, inventions, literature, mathematics,
music, painting, science, sculpting and writing. He has been
variously called the father ofpalaeontology,ichnology, and
architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters

Leonardo da Vincis
drawing of the blood
vessels the arteries
and the veins and the
Heart.

Tiling : Square, Rectangular,

Hexagonal, Moroccan

Ingeometry, apentagonal tilingis atiling of the

planewhere each individual piece is in the shape of

apentagon.
Aregularpentagonal tiling on theEuclidean plane
is impossible because theinternal angleof aregular
pentagon, 108, is not a divisor of 360, the angle
measure of a whole turn.

Thebest known
packing
of equal-sized regular
pentagons on a plane
is
The Pentagon, Headquarters of the US Dept of Defence a double

Penrose Tiling and Phi

Tiling in 5-fold symmetry was thought impossible!
Areas can be filled completely and symmetrically with tiles of 3, 4 and 6 sides,
but it was long believed that it was impossible to fill an area with 5-fold
symmetry, as shown below:

3 sides

4 sides

5 sides
leaves
gaps

6 sides

Roger Penrose (1931) and pentagonal tiling

Roger Penrose solved the

pentagonal tiling problem,

only in recent times. He
showed that two tiles, not
one are necessary and
sufficient to tile a plane.

Penrose is known, in particular, for his contributions to general

relativity and cosmology. He received several prizes / awards,
including the 1988Wolf Prizefor physics, withStephen Hawking for

The Penrose tiles are a pair of shapes that tile the plane
only aperiodically (when the markings are constrained to
match at borders). These two tiles, illustrated above, are
called the "kite" and "dart," respectively. In strict Penrose
tiling, the tiles must be placed in such a way that the colored
markings agree; in particular, the two tiles maynotbe

14 pentagonal tile shapes for tiling the plane + square

tiles .