Columbia College Chicago instructor Ann Hanson and two of her students generously shared artwork they made using the geometric figure the “Lute of Pythagoras.”
A drawing by Joseph Koch incorporates the Lute of Pythagoras into a portrait of Pythagoras himself. Image copyright Joseph Koch. Used with permission.
The ancient mathematical/musical Pythagorean cult is a bit mysterious, and apparently one of those mysteries is why this construction is called a lute! I don’t even know whether the figure was known to the Pythagoreans. I’d be thrilled if a math history buff educated me about the origin of the name.
Read the full post at Roots of Unity.
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