Abstract / Synopsis
We introduce a special symbol with a long history dating back to the Sumerian period. This symbol, which was first associated with the goddess Inanna, can be constructed with compass and straightedge, a property defined as constructibility in modern geometry. Nineteenth-century mathematicians proved systematically what types of polygons and polygrams are constructible. This algebraic result shared a striking consistency with the tessellations present in medieval Islamic architecture. The geometric patterns behind the tessellations as well as the symbol of Inanna itself, if properly remodeled, can be adopted as effective tools in the teaching of algebra and Galois theory.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.OLMG7665
Recommended Citation
Zhexiu Tu, "From the Symbol of Inanna to Islamic Tessellations: Aesthetics of Constructibility," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 15 Issue 1 (January 2025), pages 254-263. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.OLMG7665. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol15/iss1/14