Aesthetic Computing
Homework 1
02/01/02
Joella Walz
Concept of the metaphor
I will be using Greek mythology as a style for my metaphor to map the structure for the
Pythagorean Theorem onto a 3D world influenced by ancient Greek architecture. There are two
worlds between which elements travel, the real world and the mythological world of ancient
Greece. In each of these worlds there is a special temple that contains a stargate. These stargates
have the power to square elements that go through them and to then send these elements along a
Greek key path that will lead them to the destination stargate that opens into the other world.
Mapping of the basic structure
Starting in the real world of ancient Greece, a person (a) takes a magical amulet (b) and proceeds
through the stargate leading to alternant worlds. As the elements (a) and (b) move through the
stargate (representing the power of two) they are squared. As they travel through the mystical
no-man’s-land along the Greek key path they are added together. Now the two elements are one.
At the end of the Greek key path the element arrives (equals) at the stargate that opens into the
mythological world of the Greek gods. As the element travels through the destination stargate
(representing the power of two) the square root is taken and a Greek goddess (c) emerges.
Scalability
This metaphor is quite scalable. There is the possibility of many worlds, like the underworld,
middle earth, oz or even outer space and each of these worlds could have a stargate that opens
