Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-01-20
BOY A MARVEL
IN MATHEMATICS
Young Sidis Addressed Profess
Ors on Fourth Dimension.
PROPOUNDEO new THEORIES.
Ten-year- Student Said He Expects
Of Geometry - After His Lecture
Harvard Teachers Crowded Round
Him For Further Elucidation.

Him For Further Elucidation.
Psychologists today are astonished
by William James Sidis, the ten-year
old student OF Harvard. who startled
gray haired mathematical professors
by propoundlng some new theories of
the fourth dimension in a lecture which
he recently delivered at Cambridge
Mass. before the Harvard Mathemat.
zeal club.
Distinguished mathematical profess
present and gazed in wonder as the
rosy checked boy in short trousers
placed on the blackboard row after
row Of figures TO prove his difficult
and profound theories. Many OF them
Tankly professed their ignorance
the subject OF which the boy talked
glibly and again and again called
him TO explain anew some mathema
zeal theOrem
Young Sidis, who was accompanied
by his father, Dr. Boris Sidis. the well
known psychologist, stepped to the
front and. with a childish laugh. be-
gan his lecture. He wore a red hand
kerchief such as is commonly worn by
boys in the primary schools, and his
handwriting was that of Il child But
his mind was far from childish. and
some of his ideas were beyond the
comprehension Of many of his auditors.
Took Advanced Course.
The fourth dimension, the subject of
the boys lecture. belongs To the high
est branch of mathematics and is com
monty looked upon as il study for only
the oldest and most experienced pro-
fessors. 1t exists only as mathcmat-
zeal theory. The three obvious dimen-
sions Of space may be illustrated by a
straight line, by a plane like the top
of Il table and by n cube. In the fourth
dimension the figures of the third di-
menSiOn-fOr instance. the Cube-are
used as sides, and a figure is CON
structed. This figure can be explained
and illustrated only in terms Of geom-
etry.
Young Sidis has acquired his knowl-
edge Of the subject by taking the most
advanced courses in mathematics
given at Harvard. He has worked out
a number Of original theories which
are said to have been accepted by
the mathematicians. The boy started
his lecture by an explanation of the
meaning of the fourth dimension and
then proceeded to show how these
fourth dmensional figures are con-
structed.
Fourth Dimensions Great Value.
People are apt to look OH the fourth
dimension space as something of the
oretical value only" said young Sidis.
This IS wrong. 1t has great value in
solving some Of the most difficult OF
geometrical problems, and good UNI
OF the subject is apt to
geometry.
The fourth dimensiouai space is a
Euclidian space with one more dimen-
Sion added to il. Ii is formed by
direct perpendicular to the third di-
mensional space. In reasoning in this
space we take the aXiomS of plane
and solid geometry as evidence. The
fourth dimensioual solid is called
Any sort OF third di-
menstrual space may be the bounda-
ries Of the fourth dimensional space.
In the fourth dimensiOnal space we
use the cube and polygons of the
third dimensional space as faces and
with these construct the figure Of the
fourth dimension.
These figures cannot be grasped by
our mind, but can be reduced 10
geometric formula and can be con
structed by the aid OF geometry and
algebra. 1t is possible to construct by
sion with 100 sides or faces, called
Observation-Disclosures or figures with
600 sides, called sexicocehedrigons.
Often there are gaps left in the fourth
spaces. and l ill these up
by slipping in polyhedrigons of the APP
shape.
81 attach great value in the working
out of my theories to the help given
by the polyhedral angles of the dodeca-
hebron which enter into many OF the
problems. Some of the things that |
have found out about the fourth di-
mension will aid in the solution Of
many of the problems of elliptical
geometry"
Young Sidis, with the aid of a cray
on. explained the construction or
some fourth dimensional figures hith-
erto unknown to the professors. He
said that the new theories advanced
by him at the lecture would revolu-
tionize the study of geQme'ry.
After the lecture the members OF
the Harvard faculty and many Others
VITO heard young Sidis crowded around
the outhful prodigy to ask him ques-
tons and to have him explain again
some OF the more difficult OF his the
cries, which Sidis readily did.