The 4D Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

Haresh Lalvani

School of Architecture, Center for Experimental Structures

All matter–oceans, land, atmosphere, humans, animals, plants, food, materials, products, buildings–is made from 118 known chemical elements. These elements are ordered in the periodic table of elements taught worldwide. Over 1000 different periodic tables have been proposed since Mendeleev originated the idea 150 years ago. If nature is one, shouldn’t there be ONE periodic table? The 4D Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is an answer to this question, having a geometric structure related to the hypercube, a four-dimensional cube.

Professor Haresh Lalvani published his paper on a new 4D periodic table titled “4D-Cubic Lattice of Chemical Elements” in the Foundations of Chemistry Journal: Philosophical, Historical, Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies of Chemistry. His periodic table breaks down the building blocks of nanotechnology, the basis for the new materials that will shape architecture’s future.

In celebration of 150 years of publication of Mendeleev’s landmark work, last year UNESCO named 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table. Lalvani presented animations of the 4D periodic table last July at a commemorative conference celebrating Mendeleev in St. Petersburg, Russia, the place where Mendeleev worked and made his landmark discovery. The presentation and publication of the 4D periodic table in 2019 continues this spirit of celebration and acknowledgement. It also introduces the 4th spatial dimension as an organizing tool in chemistry.

This is one example of Haresh Lalvani’s continuing work in fundamental structure and its applications.