Quincunx

Quincunx is the name of the assembly of five points, as they are commonly found on dice, playing cards or dominoes. The name is derived from a Roman coin.

The quincunx was marked value five points, hence the word also stands for two terms:

• Five Points
• Five -twelfths - in astrology is called as one aspect of 150 ° (5/12 of a full circle of 360 ° )

The coin

The word comes from the Latin quinque ( five dt ) and uncia ( ounce dt ), a monetary unit of one twelfth As. The rather rare coin, therefore, had a value of 5/12 As and served as compensation to coin the currency ostitalischer tribes whose coinage was divided decimal .. It was in the second half of the 3rd century in Puglia, in about Luceria and Venusia as bronze coin coined.

The Uncia had coined a value point of the quincunx five.

The pattern

The quincunx pattern is one in many cultures to be found, intuitively simple arrangement of five points.

It takes place in various philosophical considerations input:

• In the numerical symbolism of the Pythagoreans expressed it, the special significance of the number five.
• It is also found in Chinese河 图 洛 书, pinyin hétúlòshū, Ho - flow image and Lo - flow recording ', a central plot of the Chinese five - element theory, the fàn already in洪范, Hong, The Great Plan ', a going back to the first century BC philosophical treatise of the book of deeds is to find, and symbolizes a center and four cardinal directions.
• It is understood as a reference to the Passion of Christ (cf. Greek letter Χ )

The pattern found and finds application in various areas:

• Quincunx the standard lineup was in the Roman legions. This Legion Quincunces were gestafftelt in the meeting and gave a further tactic that time unsurpassed freedom of movement in the field
• In the garden art, especially in the formal garden ( French Garden ), the tree planting is also a floor plan grid in quincunx arrangement before.
• A floor plan type, eg Byzantine cross-domed churches (eg San Marco in Venice, Hosios Lucas in Greece) and in the sacral Baroque architecture ( eg, S. Carlo ai Catinari in Rome, Konviktskirche in Ehingen Collegiate Church in Salzburg ), in particular at University of churches, the Anräume for the faculties of the universities were.
• A basic design type of inlay work of Cosmati.
• As a cross shape, combined with the poor, they call it piston Cross ( also apple cross, with central medallion ), and it is a common form of Romanesque or Gothic altar and votive crosses, and later also used in Christian form of treasure
• In computer graphics, quincunx is a possible model for the distribution of sampling antialiasing.
• The pattern can be found on the flag of the Solomon Islands (English Solomon Islands ).

Use in architecture

The so-called Milan scheme referred to in the architecture of a floor plan, seizing the geometric principle of the quincunx. The outline shape of a Greek cross with central dome is inscribed in a square ground that the plan will be extended in the diagonal axes, between the arms of the cross, through four secondary dome rooms.