Problem[]
The mou he fang gai (牟合方蓋) is a solid formed by the intersection of two perpendicular cylinders of equal diameter (Figure 1). This shape was named by the Chinese mathematician Liu Hui (劉徽, c. 225 - 295 AD) during the Three Kingdoms Era (220 - 280 AD). The volume was later found by Zu Geng (祖暅) during the 5th century AD, the son of Zu Chongzhi (祖沖之, 429 - 500 AD). Nowadays this solid is called a bicylinder.
Part 1: Determine the volumetric ratio of the bicylinder to the sphere.
Part 2: Obtain the formula for the volume of the bicylinder.
Part 3: Using the volume of the bicylinder obtain the formula for the volume of the sphere.
Solution[]
Part 1
Inscribe a sphere inside the bicylinder. Each vertical cross-section is a circle inscribed inside a square. The ratio of the area is . Since this is continually true for all vertical cross-sections, the volumetric ratio of the bicylinder to the sphere is . This deduction exploits the Liu-Zu principle (劉-祖原理), more commonly known as the Cavalieri principle or the "method of indivisibles".
Part 2
Inscribe the bicylinder in a cube. Partition the solids into octants. Let be the width of the cube-octant. The horizontal cross-section of the bicylinder-octant is a circular quadrant; hence, the width of the vertical cross-section is given by at a given height .
Since each vertical cross-section is a square (pictured right), the area of the cross-section of the bicylinder-octant is . To analyze the vertical cross-section of the excess volume, subtract the cube-octant with the bicylinder-octant.
The cross-section of the excess volume are squares that vary continuously by the height interval . At one end, the cross-section is a square with area . This linearly decreases until the square reduces to a point. Thus, the excess volume is equivalent to the volume of an inverted square pyramid.
Multiply the excess volume by 8 to obtain the volume of the excess in all octants.
Thus the volume of the bicylinder is given by .
Part 3
From Part 1, it is deduced that
If expressed using the diameter of the sphere,