Quadrature Studies: Circles, Lunes and Portions
Dividing circular portions into equal parts and squaring lunes and sectors
This densely worked sheet is a sustained study of squaring circular figures — lunes (falcate), portions, sectors and their equivalence to triangles and squares. Leonardo gives a method for dividing a portion of a circle into infinitely many equal parts by repeatedly halving one of its eighths, and argues that in circles of quadruple proportion a quarter of the greater equals the whole of the lesser. A running discourse on a semicircle that 'contains within itself a whole circle' tracks areas labelled L, p, b, m and t, and concludes that further invention is needed to resolve the value of p. Dozens of small figures of circles, quadrants, lunes and inscribed squares crowd the page, whose upper corner is torn.
On this page
Dividing a circular portion into infinite equal parts
Leonardo describes a method of dividing a portion of a circle into infinitely many equal parts merely by dividing one of its two upper eighths. One halves only the eighth a, twice over, as shown in the figure below.
Squaring a lune with one curved and three straight sides
The figure b n v t is a square-like quadrilateral with one curved side and three straight, shown equal to a quarter of the portion a b c d. Leonardo derives it from the square b n o d, half of the half-portion, concluding that four such squares equal the whole portion and that surface laid on surface leaves equal excesses.
Circles in quadruple proportion
Of circles in quadruple proportion, a quarter of the one is worth the whole of the other. Restated: in quadruple circles the quarter of the greater equals the whole of the lesser.
A quarter of 8 is 2, half of 8 is 4
Leonardo works the numbers behind the figure: L p is one quarter of the square c e, and adding b makes it half of e. Thus L p and b make 2, which comes to 4, which is the half of 8.
Discourse on the semicircle containing a whole circle
A long discourse tracks the areas L, p, b, m and t through a semicircle said to contain a whole circle, exchanging pieces of equal value to reach half the square c. Leonardo finds the triangle p remains the 'standard' of the whole but is only doubtfully equal, so a further device must be sought.
Lunes entering a square make a whole circle
The lunes a b, when entered into the space c d, together make one whole circle. A halved version shows that o placed in p makes a semicircle.
