Help request and invitation to a multilingual collaborative game
Dear friends;
I kindly ask for your help:
The image commons:file:2152085cab.png displays a most-perfect magic square from the Parshvanath Jain temple in Khajuraho. This square was cited many times in mathematical literature but representations where not available so far. It was uploaded by RainerTypke to Commons on request. source: Rainer Typke »Photographs »India 2008 »Khajuraho Temples »Khajuraho: Eastern Group ».
I went to the State Library from Bavaria in Munich, Germany to get the text translated. I have read about this square many years before because for me all started with a note: "... a young man has discovered the amazing properties of magic squares. Padmakumar, an honorary fellow in the State Science, Technology and Environment Department (STED) for the last 11 years, has published the wonderful properties of the magic square called ‘Sri Rama Chakra’ in the international mathematical journal, ‘Fibonacci Quarterly’ in August 1997." See DSpace at Cochin University record google search.
I have many questions which are puzzling me for a long time:
a) I searched Mr. Padmakumar for years but I could not contact him. Is it possible to find out how to contact him? b) Mr. Padmakumar mentioned magic square called ‘Sri Rama Chakra’. Does anybody know the exact meaning? Does it have any cultural implications? c) The usage of the picture lists many pages. One is a link to my last contact. The wikipedia search for Chautisa+Yantra lists some pages; some mention "Jain temples of Khajuraho; This is referred to as the Chautisa Yantra, since each sub-square sums to 34." Does this only refers to the value 34 (the sum of rows, columns, diagonals etc? Is there another meaning? d) Are there some publications about the inscription? Is it known when the square was created? e) Mr. Padmakumar published last year a book:
- T.V.Padmakumar, Number Theory and Magic Squares, Sura books, India, 2008, 128 pages, ISBN 978-81-8449-321-4
I contacted the publisher surabooks.com about ordering the book. There is a great interest about it but money transfer prices are a multiple of the book price and shipping costs. Are there any ways to get the book by paying with credit cards or paypal? f) I kindly invite you to participate in the development of a game based on these type of squares. Please take a look at commons:commons:rakonto (redirecting today to "commons:story (game) - collaborative work".
Thanks for any help in advance! Best regards and greetings from Munich, Germany!
« לערי ריינהארט » at commons facebook wikieducator.org 00:01, 23 November 2009 (UTC)
I visited Khajuraho back in 1967. A truly magical place. Phil
Dear Phil; I was puzzled last morning after only one and a half hour of sleep.
- Why is such an object placed in a temple ( at the entrance of a temple as far as I know ) ?
- Today we see a brick and believe it does not move. But the square is not a brick. It moves like all the deities presented in the statues.
- I was puzzled about the dimensions of the square. We see two main dimensions along which the square can shift. But at every cell one can imagine also four other curled dimensions (formed by the neighbour 2x2 sub-squares, which can be transformed in rows and/or columns) . Curled dimensions are mentioned at string theory ( http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=%22string+theory%22 ) . Transitions along such dimensions are not commutative. But why to stop at six dimensions because we thing that we need to see adjacent cells to define a path . There are 384 aspects / rearrangements of this hyper symmetric, ultra homogeneous object. Maybe the dimensions are only in our mind. "m'et vern modne." - We get strange.
« לערי ריינהארט » at commons facebook wikieducator.org 00:20, 28 November 2009 (UTC)
Hi ya...
My name is Nithin Anilkumar... i just read ur post here, in wikipedia... speaking truly, this man, Mr. T.V Padmakumar, is my moms childhood friend... he lives pretty close by, to where i live...
actually, if u want to know more him, u can just leave me a mail, at nithinrox@gmail.com, coz i dont think, postin his personal details, on this page would be all that nice... or contact me in person to the number 00919744834429...
i hope, ma reply to ur post was helpful...
