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Dimensions - Exploring Flatland

answer section


Question:

Can a flatlander tie a knot?

Answer:

No. Try making a knot with a piece of string without passing one over the other.You can't do it. (See also Planiverse bio section--good diagrams)

A souped-up version of this demonstration could be done with a piece of rope pressed between two pieces of plexiglass (or another clear surface. Leave the bitter ends of the rope free of the plexiglass so that you can move them. You can now move the rope in the left-right direction and topwards-bottomwardsdirection, but not out of the plane. Thus this model is a demonstration of a 3-Drope confined to two dimensions.


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