Architecture and Mathematics in Roman Amphitheatres

Architecture and Mathematics from Antiquity to the Future

“…This study is the continuation of research presented in another chapter in this present publication (Duvernoy 2014).…”

“…Some awkward attempts have already been made to determine the position of some converging points that would have facilitated their layout (Duvernoy 2014). But in the context of an elliptical pattern and a non-oval shape, the wedges of the cavea must have been drawn in some other way than radial division from a centre that does not exist.…”

“…The Arithmetic of the Building: Dimensions and Numbers of Pompeii The search for a module acting as the major common divisor of all dimensions (Duvernoy 2014) has shown that the axes of the three measured curves are respectively 10-19, 13-22 and 26-35 modules. Applying Archimedes' method for calculating the area, S ¼ (3 + 1/7)ab, we find out that the area of the arena is exactly two thirds of the area of the curve closing the podium.…”