Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Geodesic |
GeodesicAdjective1. Of or resembling a geodesic dome. 2. Of or relating to or determined by geodesy. Noun1. (mathematics) the shortest line between two points on a mathematically defined surface (as a straight line on a plane or a an arc of a great circle on a sphere). Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "geodesic" was first used: 1821. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In mathematics and specifically in differential geometry, a geodesic is a path that furnishes shortest paths between any points on it that are close enough together. The most familiar examples are the straight lines in Euclidean geometry. In more general spaces the geodesics can be more complicated, but one often still thinks of them as "straight" in a sense.On a sphere, for instance, the geodesics are the great circles. The shortest path from point A to point B on a sphere is given by the shorter piece of the great circle passing through A and B. Note that if A and B are antipodal points (like the North pole and the South pole), then there are many shortest paths between them.
In the theory of general relativity, particles travel along geodesics through space-time, and so their paths depend on the space-time's curvature. This curvature is in turn determined by the energy and mass distribution; this is the content of the Einstein equation.
In general, geodesics can be defined for any Riemannian manifold. Every shortest path from A to B yields a geodesic, but the converse is not always true, as the example of a sphere shows. Furthermore, it is possible that there are no shortest paths from A to B, but there are geodesics connecting A and B. An example of this is the sphere with a point between A and B removed.
See also geodesic dome.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Geodesic."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A Geodesic dome is a structure developed by Buckminster Fuller in the 1940s in line with his "synergetic" thinking.
The American Pavilion of Expo '67, by R. Buckminster Fuller, now the Biosphère, on Île Sainte-Hélène, Montreal The dome uses a network of great-circles lying within the surface of the sphere (geodesics) of struts to distribute stress, so that the structure approximates a sphere in strength. The circles are placed to form triangular elements to create local triangular rigidity. Dome designs are discovered more than made. Of all known structures, a geodesic dome has the highest ratio of enclosed area to weight.
Geodesic domes are far stronger as units than the individual struts would suggest. It is common for a new dome to reach a "critical mass" during construction, shift slightly, and lift any attached scaffolding from the ground.
Geodesic domes are designed by taking a Platonic solid, such as an icosahedron, and then filling each face with a regular pattern of triangles bulged out so that their vertices lie in the surface of a sphere. The trick is that the subpattern of triangles should create "geodesics", great circles to distribute stress across the structure.
There is good reason to believe that geodesic construction can be effectively extended to any shape, although it works best in shapes that lack corners to concentrate stress.
Fuller had hoped the dome would address the emerging housing crisis - he also had hopes for his dymaxion house. The geodesic dome has also been used to provide a stable structure for industrial buildings and stadiums.
The dome was introduced to a wider audience at Expo '67 the Montreal, Canada World's Fair as part of the American Pavilion. The structure's covering later burned down, but the structure itself still stands and, under the name Biosphère, currently houses an interpretive museum about the Saint Lawrence River.
A number of people have built homes in the shape of a geodesic dome. Domes have a number of advantages.
They are very strong. The basic structure erects very quickly with a small crew, and light-weight pieces. Domes as large as fifty meters have been constructed in the wilderness from rough materials without a crane. The dome is also aerodynamic, so it loses relatively little heat to wind chill. Solar heating is possible by placing an arc of windows across the dome: the more heating needed the wider the arc should be, to encompass more of the year.
However as a housing system the dome has several problems.
On the mundane side the entirety of the funishing and fitting world is designed with flat surfaces in mind, and installing something as simple as a sofa results in a half-moon behind the sofa being wasted.
The shape leaves the vast majority of the interior surface unusable because of the sharply sloping roof lines. For example, in a 20 foot tall dome, only the bottom 8 feet or so are really usable. This leaves a large volume that must be heated, yet cannot be lived in.
Dome builders find it hard to seal domes against rain. The most effective method with a wooden dome is to shingle the dome. Another method is to use a one-piece reinforced concrete or plastic dome. Some domes have been constructed from plastic or waxed cardboard triangles that overlapped in such a way as to shed water.
Methods of construction
Wooden domes drill a hole in the width of a strut. A stainless steel band locks the strut's hole to a circle of steel pipe. This method lets the struts be simply cut to the exact needed length. Triangles of exterior plywood are then nailed to the struts. The dome is wrapped with several stapled layers of tar paper, from the bottom to the top in order to shed water, and finished with shingles.
Temporary greenhouse domes have been constructed by stapling plastic sheeting onto a dome constructed from 1x1s. The result is warm, movable by hand in sizes less than 20 feet, and cheap. It should be staked to the ground, because it will fly away in strong wind.
Steel-framework domes can be easily constructed of electrical conduit. One flattens the end of a strut, and drills bolt holes at the needed length. A single bolt secures a vertex of structs. The nuts are usually set with removable locking compound, or if the dome is portable, have a castle nut with a cotter pin. This is the standard way to construct domes for jungle-gyms.
Concrete and foam plastic domes generally start with a steel framework dome, and then wrap it with chicken-wire and wire screen for reinforcement. The chicken wire and screen is tied to the framework with wire ties. The material is sprayed or molded onto the frame. Tests should be performed with small squares to achieve the correct consistency of concrete or plastic. Generally, several coats are necessary on the inside and outside. The last step is to saturate concrete or polyester domes with a thin layer of epoxy compound to shed water.
Some concrete domes have been constructed from prefabricated prestressed steel-reinforced concrete panels that can be bolted into place. The bolts are within raised recepticles covered with little concrete caps to shed water. The triangles overlap to shed water. The triangles in this method can be molded in forms patterned in sand with wooden patterns, but the concrete triangles are usually so heavy they must be placed with a crane. This construction is well-suited to domes because there is no place for water to pool on the concrete and leak through. The metal fasteners, joints and internal steel frames remain dry, preventing frost and corrosion damage. The concrete resists sun and weathering. Some form of internal flashing or caulking must be placed over the joints to prevent drafts.
Source: http://www.applied-synergetics.com/ashp/html/dome_pov.html Using: freeware DOME Software and POV-Ray software
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Geodesic dome."
Synonyms: GeodesicSynonyms: geodesical (adj), geodetic (adj), geodesic line (n). (additional references) |
Crosswords: Geodesic |
| English words defined with "geodesic": Buckminster Fuller ♦ Fuller ♦ Geodetical ♦ R. Buckminster Fuller, Richard Buckminster Fuller. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | The United States Flag at the top of the South Pole Station geodesic dome. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | This is why the South Pole has a geodesic dome. The sledding was great. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | The geodesic dome and skylab as seen from the old Clean Air Facility at South Pole Station. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | South Pole geodesic dome illuminated by last gasp of sunset. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | Polar night has arrived - geodesic dome silhouetted by bluish aurora australis Horizontal line emanating to right from geodesic dome is exhaust from generator. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | Geodesic dome erected to shelter AHVRR satellite data receiver at Palmer Station. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | Building construction - geodesic dome. Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Geodesic Landmark" by Luis Alves Commentary: "A giant geodesign landmark --------------------------- Notice: You can use this image, but please send me an e-mail if you use it, I really like to know when and where it's used, thanks :-)." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| "Geodesic" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 91.55% of the time. "Geodesic" is used about 71 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 91.55% | 65 | 41,645 |
| Noun (singular) | 7.04% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Noun (proper) | 1.41% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 71 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "geodesic": geodesic altitude ♦ geodesic dome ♦ geodesic line. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "geodesic": geodesic-designed. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "geodesic"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Dutch | geodetische hoogte (geodesic altitude, geodetic altitude, geodetic head). (various references) | |
Finnish | geodeettinen. (various references) | |
French | hauteur géodésique (geodesic altitude, geodetic altitude). (various references) | |
German | geodätisch (geodetic, geodetical). (various references) | |
Greek | γεωδαιτικός (geodetic), Γεωδαιτικός. (various references) | |
Italian | geodetico. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 測地線 (geodesic line). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | そくちせん (geodesic line). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | eodesicgay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | geodésico (geodetic). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | geodetski. (various references) | |
Spanish | geodésico. (various references) | |
Swedish | geodetisk (geodetical). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | геодезичний (geodetic). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Greek | 700 BCE-300 CE | geodaisia. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "geodesic": geodesics. (additional references) | |
| |
"Geodesic" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Belodedic, geoidic, geoseismic, Giudizio, glodesic, goidelic, Guldescu. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "geodesic" (pronounced jē'ude"sik) |
| 3 | -s i k | analgesic, anorexic, basic, carsick, classic, diabasic, dyslexic, extrinsic, forensic, intrinsic, neoclassic, nontoxic, thoracic, toxic. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-d-e-e-g-i-o-s" | |
-1 letter: diocese. | |
-2 letters: cosied, deices, dogies, geodes, geodic, geoids, sieged. | |
-3 letters: cedes, cedis, codes, coeds, cosie, decos, deice, dices, disco, doges, dogie, edges, eidos, geode, geoid, ogees, sedge, siege, sodic. | |
-4 letters: cede, cedi, cees, cigs, code, cods, coed, cogs, deco, dees, dice, dies, digs, disc, docs, does, doge, dogs, dose, edge, egis, egos, eide, geds. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-d-e-e-g-i-o-s" | |
+1 letter: genocides, geodesics. | |
+2 letters: codesigned, recognised. | |
+3 letters: categorised, proceedings. | |
+4 letters: bedcoverings, cladogenesis, crescendoing, decongesting, decongestion, decongestive, ergodicities, recondensing. | |
+5 letters: chalcogenides, condescending, countersigned, crossbreeding, decompressing, decongestions, glycopeptides, gonadectomies, nondecreasing, reconsidering, rediscovering, steroidogenic, tragicomedies. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Expressions 10. Expressions: Internet 11. Translations: Modern 12. Translations: Ancient | 13. Derivations 14. Rhymes 15. Anagrams 16. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
