Talk:Square/GA1

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Nominator: David Eppstein (talk · contribs) 19:08, 12 July 2025 (UTC)

Reviewer: MathKeduor7 (talk · contribs) 07:55, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

The review will take some time (a month, I estimate). MathKeduor7 (talk) 07:55, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

I think you should tell the story of the impossible "circle-square" (a "round square": a circle that is also a square). And I think you should mention that the square is topologically equivalent to a circle. MathKeduor7 (talk) 08:08, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

Not sure what you mean by this. Squircle is listed in the see also section. Or do you mean illusions like https://divisbyzero.com/2016/07/06/make-a-sugihara-circlesquare-optical-illusion-out-of-paper/ ? I'm not sure that has enough reliable sourcing even to make a separate article, let alone to do so and then link from this one. —David Eppstein (talk) 19:56, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

It is a common theme for debates in introductory philosophy courses. Google Gemini says: "The concept of a "square circle" in philosophy refers to a logical contradiction, an impossible object, similar to the problem of squaring the circle in mathematics. The term "square circle" (or, in German, "viereckiger Kreis") was used by Gottlob Frege in his work "The Foundations of Arithmetic" and is also related to the problem of non-existent objects, discussed by Meinong and Russell." MathKeduor7 (talk) 22:05, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

Ok, added: Special:Diff/1300366485. —David Eppstein (talk) 22:43, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

This is off-topic, but it goes back (at least) to Hobbes. Tito Omburo (talk) 17:41, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

The source I used traced it to Aristotle. —David Eppstein (talk) 18:25, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

Ha! Tito Omburo (talk) 19:04, 15 July 2025 (UTC)

I'm gonna read the whole article tomorrow. MathKeduor7 (talk) 08:10, 13 July 2025 (UTC)

Comment: So far all the sources I've read are backing the contents properly. I think this will be a quick GA pass review. MathKeduor7 (talk) 08:45, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

Isn't there supposed to be some kind of peer review involved here? You don't have any thoughts about ways the article could be improved? –jacobolus (t) 11:08, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

There were two improvements during the process. Professor David Eppstein did such a great job, that other than those, this article was already perfect in my view (and should be FA, not just GA). MathKeduor7 (talk) 12:31, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

Good Article review progress box Criteria: 1a. prose () 1b. MoS () 2a. ref layout () 2b. cites WP:RS () 2c. no WP:OR () 2d. no WP:CV () 3a. broadness () 3b. focus () 4. neutral () 5. stable () 6a. free or tagged images () 6b. pics relevant () Note: this represents where the article stands relative to the Good Article criteria. Criteria marked are unassessed

Congratulations, David Eppstein! This article is of GA quality level. MathKeduor7 (talk) 08:56, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

According to Google Gemini: "The ancient Chinese civilization did venerate the square. The concept of a square earth and a round heaven, known as "Tian Yuan Di Fang," was a fundamental part of their cosmology. This idea was reflected in their architecture, philosophy, and even urban planning." Idk, it's just a chatbot answer, but I think it may be important. Anyways, the article is already GA status. MathKeduor7 (talk) 12:37, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

I'm talking about this because of the comment of jacobolus (t) above. MathKeduor7 (talk) 12:38, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

P.S. You can find some interesting photos of ancient Chinese coins on the Internet. MathKeduor7 (talk) 12:45, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

Yes, there is also some hint that the Chinese thought of the square as the ideal shape for a city, but I had trouble finding clear sourcing for that. —David Eppstein (talk) 16:59, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

The circle and square shapes (and the compass and square tools) have been symbolically important in many cultures. In China, as you say, the sky was associated with the circle and the earth with the square (see also Nüwa and Fuxi). Seidenberg (1981) "The Ritual Origin of the Circle and Square" JSTOR 41133635 is one source to mine for ideas of related topics. –jacobolus (t) 20:47, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

Here's a paper about the cosmology of the Anaguta people of Nigeria, who apparently consider the earth to be a square oriented to have its corners in cardinal directions, JSTOR 30022239. –jacobolus (t) 19:35, 18 July 2025 (UTC)

There are plenty of sources about how Maya cosmology considers the earth and underworld to be square. There are some nice weaving/embroidery/stonework patterns involving squares that we could use as an illustration. (Disclaimer: my godmother is a Tzotzil shaman.) –jacobolus (t) 19:45, 18 July 2025 (UTC)