CHAPTER III.
FOUR-SPACE. GENESIS OF A TESSARACT. ITS REPRESENTATION IN THREE-SPACE.
Hitherto we have only looked at Model 1. This, with the next seven, represent what we can observe of the simplest body in Higher Space. A few words will explain their construction. A point by its motion traces a line. A line by its motion traces either a longer line or an area; if it moves at right angles to its own direction, it traces a rectangle. For the sake of simplicity, we will suppose all movements to be an inch in length and at right angles to each other. Thus, a point moving traces a line an inch long; a line moving traces a square inch; a square moving traces a cubic inch. In these cases each of these movements produces something intrinsically different from what we had before. A square is not a longer line, nor a cube a larger square. When the cube moves, we are unable to see any new direction in which it can move, and are compelled to make it move in a direction which has previously been used. Let us suppose there is an unknown direction at right angles to all our known directions, just as a third direction would be unknown to a being confined to the surface of the table. And let the cube move in this unknown direction for an inch. We call the figure it traces a Tessaract. The models are representations of the appearances a Tessaract would present to us if shown in various ways. Consider for a moment what happens to a square when moved to form a cube. Each of its lines, moved in the new direction, traces a square; the square itself traces a new figure, a cube, which ends in another square. Now, our cube, moved in a new direction, will trace a tessaract, whereof the cube itself is the beginning, and another cube the end. These two cubes are to the tessaract as the Black square and White square are to the cube. A plane-being could not see both those squares at once, but he could make models of them and let them both rest in his plane at once. So also we can make models of the beginning and end of the tessaract. Model 1 is the cube, which is its beginning; Model 2 is the cube which is its end. It will be noticed that there are no two colours alike in the two models. The Silver point corresponds to the Gold point, that is, the Silver point is the termination of the line traced by the Gold point moving in the new direction. The sides correspond in the following manner:—
Sides.
| Model 1. | Model 2. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | corresponds | to | Bright-green |
| White | „ | „ | Light-grey |
| Vermilion | „ | „ | Indian-red |
| Blue-green | „ | „ | Yellow-ochre |
| Dark-blue | „ | „ | Burnt-sienna |
| Light-yellow | „ | „ | Dun |
The two cubes should be looked at and compared long enough to ensure that the corresponding sides can be found quickly. Then there are the following correspondencies in points and lines.
Points.
| Model 1. | Model 2. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | corresponds | to | Silver |
| Fawn | „ | „ | Turquoise |
| Terra-cotta | „ | „ | Earthen |
| Buff | „ | „ | Blue tint |
| Light-blue | „ | „ | Quaker-green |
| Dull-purple | „ | „ | Peacock-blue |
| Deep-blue | „ | „ | Orange-vermilion |
| Red | „ | „ | Purple |
Lines
| Model 1. | Model 2. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | corresponds | to | Leaf-green |
| Crimson | „ | „ | Dull-green |
| Green-grey | „ | „ | Dark-purple |
| Blue | „ | „ | Purple-brown |
| Brown | „ | „ | Dull-blue |
| French-grey | „ | „ | Dark-pink |
| Dark-slate | „ | „ | Pale-pink |
| Green | „ | „ | Indigo |
| Reddish | „ | „ | Brown-green |
| Bright-blue | „ | „ | Dark-green |
| Leaden | „ | „ | Pale-yellow |
| Deep-yellow | „ | „ | Dark |