Analysing true pyramids

Numerological theories

It is virtually impossible to mention all of the theories that have been suggested to explain the geometry of Egyptian pyramids. Many of them are based on more or less imaginative interpretations. At best, they are incorrect simply because they are based on our modern mathematics, with little respect for the ancient Egyptian system, but in the worst cases no field of human knowledge has been left untouched by those who aim to find hidden meanings in these ancient monuments.

The pyramid of Khufu, being the largest and the most famous (and, in fact, often simply called the ‘Great Pyramid’), has especially inspired complicated mathematical interpretations. They are usually based on the assumption that the pyramid was planned and built using mathematical principles such as π (the ratio between diameter and circumference in a circle) and φ (the number of the Golden Section). Useful summaries of the history of the most famous mathematical theories have been published by Jean-Philippe Lauer and Franco Cimmino, among others. In particular, Roger Herz-Fischler has listed all of the theories suggested so far on the pyramid of Khufu alone.