Mathematics in a Cricket Stadium

Mathematics Extended Essay

Which seat in a cricket stadium mathematically qualifies

as being the best, based solely on the quality of view?

WORD COUNT: 3975

1
Contents
1 Introduction 3

2 Background Information 4
2.1 Regiomontanus’ Angle Maximisation Problem and proof . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2 Architectural Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Method 16
3.1 Stadium Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2 Ideal distance and height determination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.3 Generalization to an Ellipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

4 Conclusion 29
4.1 Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

5 References 31

6 Appendix 34
6.1 Direct application of Regiomontanus’ Problem in a multivariable manner . . 34
6.2 Ideal seat along the shorter axis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

2
1 Introduction

As a passionate cricket fan, I greatly enjoy visiting our local Chinnaswamy stadium to watch

1
cricket matches. Generally, I prefer to sit in either ‘A’ stand or ‘N’ stand at the stadium,

as I have the best experience when there. ‘A’ stand tends to be more raucous, passionate

and cheaper than ‘N’ stand, but the quality of view is much higher in ‘N’ stand as compared

to ‘A’ stand.

Figure 1: Seating arrangement in Chinnaswamy stadium. The sections that are at a higher
level (greater height) are represented along the peripheral of the diagram. ‘N’ stand is
highlighted in dark blue 2

1
Mishra, Aniruddha. “M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore: Seating Arrangement, Layout, Parking,
Stands, Stats.” Sports News, Sportskeeda, 20 Dec. 2019, www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/m-chinnaswamy-
stadium-seating-arrangement-layout-parking-stands-stats.
2
See note 1

3
I found this to be because of two main reasons, with the first being that ‘N’stand is elevated

due to the black sight screen present below the stand. Secondly, I feel that by being in line

with the cricket pitch, ‘N’ stand brings one closer to the action. I wondered whether the same

logic held true for other cricket stadiums around the world. For many other sports, such as

American Football, fans are usually recommended to choose a seat roughly in the middle of

the stadium as well as a few rows back, rather than right next to the field.3 I found that for

Association Football, such recommendations were largely the same4 . However, there was a

severe lack of information into the ideal seat for fans of cricket, perhaps due to the different

shape and architecture of stadiums. I chose to unite my two passions of mathematics and

cricket together to try and solve this problem. By doing so, I felt that I could help so many

others who are new to the sport. I formulated my research question as follows: "Which

seat in a cricket stadium mathematically qualifies as being the best, based solely

on the quality of view?"

2 Background Information

We are taking the phrase “quality of view” to mean a viewpoint where the entire field can be

seen with ease and clarity. I took architectural considerations into account as well as depth

perception and the elliptical shape of the field to arrive at a solution. Hence, the areas of

Mathematics that will be used broadly fall under both Single and Multivariable Calculus,
3
Hanson, Keith. “Where to Sit For a Football Game - A Comprehensive Guide.” RateYourSeats.com,
RateYourSeats, 4 Sept. 2015, www.rateyourseats.com/blog/cheaps eats/where−to−sit−f or−a−f ootball−
game.
4
User, Super. “Home.” Football, www.football-stadiums.co.uk/articles/where-to-sit-in-a-football-
stadium/.

4
Functions and Mathematical Projections. Depth perception is defined as the ability to

perceive objects in 3D. In order for depth perception to be optimized, the angle subtending

the object under focus should be as large as possible. To solve this, we utilize an adaptation

of Regiomontanus’ angle maximization problem, given below.

2.1 Regiomontanus’ Angle Maximisation Problem and proof

This problem is an age-old, but interesting one that was posed and solved by 15th Century

Mathematician and Astronomer Johannes Müller von Königsberg, known as Regiomontanus.

It is as follows.

Suppose there is a painting hung on a wall at some specified distance above the ground.

At what distance from the wall will the painting appear to be the largest? Regiomontanus

solved this question using basic circle geometry, but it has since been solved using Calculus

and Optimization.5 6

5
Muljadi, Paul. “Regiomontanus’ Angle Maximization Problem.” Academia.edu - Share Research,
www.academia.edu/3659994/Regiomontanusa nglem aximizationp roblem.
6
Letson, Benjamin, and Mark Schwartz. “The Regiomontanus Problem.” Mathematics Magazine, vol.
90, no. 4, 2017, pp. 259–266., doi:10.4169/math.mag.90.4.259.

5
 Figure 2: Basic sketch describing the problem 7

Figure 3: Depicts each required variable 8

7
See note 5, 6
8
See note 5, 6

6
In this diagram, a is considered as the perpendicular distance from the floor to the bottom

of the painting, b is seen as the distance from the ground to the top of the painting and x is

the distance away from the painting along the floor. For the picture to appear the largest,

the angle must be maximized. Since this involves right-angled triangles, we can make use

of the trigonometric functions. Using the tangent function, we express the ratio of tan in

terms of b, a and x. The problem is then solved as follows:

• tan θ = tan (α − β)

tan α−tanβ
• tan (α − β) = 1+tanαtanβ

We then express every tangent function in terms of the ratio of its corresponding sides.

tan α−tanβ
• Let s = 1+tanαtanβ

b a
−x
• s= x
1+ ab2
x

Upon further factorization, we obtain the expression

x


• s = (b − a) x2 +ab
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Eq 1.)

Since (b − a) is a positive constant (length of painting), it can be ignored from our maxi-

mization calculations. Hence, we are left with the fraction, which we must differentiate and

equate to zero.

d x ab−x2


• dx x2 +ab
= (x2 +ab)2

ab−x2
• (x2 +ab)2
=0

7
 √
• x = ab

As we can see here, standing at a distance equal to the geometric mean of a and b is where the

picture will appear the largest. Maximizing the angle in the context of a cricket field means

that a viewer can see the farther end of the field with ease and clarity, thereby optimizing

one’s depth perception.

As stated earlier, the same principle can be applied to the cricket stadium problem with a

few changes. The nominative ‘painting’ of the Regiomontanus problem will be replaced by

the cricket field, which lies on the ground rather on a wall. The entire problem is rotated to

a perspective where one can move both up and down, as well as left and right. The seating

sections which we will consider lie directly to the right of the pitch. An example of the view

point being taken is given below. Furthermore, the variables we have originally taken are

redefined as such:

• b – straight-line distance from the far edge of the field to the seat in question (along

the ground)

• a – straight-line distance from the near edge of the field to the seat in question (along

the ground)

• z – replaces the variable x that we took earlier. It is the height from the ground to the

seat under study.

8
 Figure 4: Real-life picture of the side-on view being adopted 9

Figure 5: Original diagram rotated appropriately to represent the cricket field. Note that
the variable x here has now been replaced by z, for easier understanding as it traditionally
denotes height 10

9
Simpson, Menelik. “England V Sri Lanka at Lords.” Mirror, 25 June 2014,
www.mirror.co.uk/sport/gallery/england-v-sri-lanka-lords-3634134.
10
See note 5, 6

9
Using the answer arrived at from this view, we can extrapolate projected values across the

field, thereby arriving at an appropriate conclusion.

We can express either a or b in the Regiomontanus’ equation in terms of the other, since (b

– a) is a fixed constant, defined as the distance across the field. Based on standard cricket

field sizes across the world, we create our own sample stadium.11 12
We take the major

axis across the field to be 150 meters and assume that the first seat starts 2.5 metres after

x


the edge of the field. Upon arriving at the earlier equation of s = (b − a) x2 +ab
which we

termed as Eq. 1, we substitute one in terms of the other and replace x with z, ignoring the

(b – a) expression like earlier.

• b − a = 150

• a = b − 150

x z
• x2 +ab
= z 2 +b2 −150b
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Eq. 2)

This interpretation of Regiomontanus’ equation, labelled as Eq 2, will be the basis for all

the angle-maximization calculations that follow.

11
“Cricket.” Sitefinitycms-Staging, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries,
www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/cricket.
12
“Cricket Ground.” Sports News, Sportskeeda, www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/cricket-ground.

10
Figure 6: The cricket stadium we are creating. The line running across the field is our
major axis (150 metres) and the line vertically across is the minor axis (140 metres) 13

The 2.5 metre gap between the first seat and the edge of the field exists all around the field,

hence the distance between seats exactly across from each other will be 5 metres more than

the distance across the field at that point.

13
Cricket Match at Seddon Park, Hamilton,Waikato, North Island, New Zealand
A erial, Davidwallphoto.com, www.davidwallphoto.com/detail/58626− Cricket − match − at − Seddon −
P ark, −Hamilton, −W aikato, −N orth − Island, −N ew − Zealand −− aerial.html.

11
2.2 Architectural Background

Figure 7: Crude representation of the system, depicting each variable 14

Figure 8: A clearer representation of the C-value 15

Possibly the most important value architects consider when designing the layout and ar-

rangement of their seats the is ‘C-Value’.16 This value is defined as the distance between

the sightlines of people sitting in two adjacent row within a stadium. Having the correct

and optimal C-value is essential for architects; if it is too small, then unobstructed sight

cannot be guaranteed for the viewer, whereas a large C-value will have commercial costs. To

14
See note 16, 17
15
See note 16, 17
16
Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds. Sports Grounds Safety Authority, 2018. p 109

12
calculate the C-value for a particular seat, architects make use of four other values, known

as R, D, T and N.17 These are defined as follows.

• R Value – height from the ground to the seat

• D Value – distance along the ground from the focal point (cricket pitch, where the

game is played) to the seat

• T Value – seating depth, which is the distance between two consecutive seats (one

behind the other)

• N Value – riser height (distance in height between consecutive seats)

A rough equation to determine the C-value for a particular seat can then be formed using

key ideas of similar triangles and gradient-based properties. We can define a new variable,

H, as the distance from the bottom of a persons seat to the sightline of the person in the

next row (given in Figure 5).

We can then say that the C-value (difference in sightlines) will be equal to H – R, with R

being equal to the vertical distance from the ground to the seat. Now, considering that the

tip of H lies on the sightline of the individual above, we can conclude that the gradient at

both these points are the same.

17
Shephard, Paul. Sightlines. University of Bath, 2012,
people.bath.ac.uk/ps281/mathst alk/olympic/teachern otes/worksheets ightlines.pdf.

13
 Figure 9: Similar triangles highlighted 18

H R+N
• D
= D+T

D(R+N )
• H= D+T

D(R+N )
• H= D+T
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 3)

Since we have already defined C as H – R, we can input it into Eq 3, where we arrive at our

final format.

D(R+N )
• C= (D+T )
– R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 4)

One important point to look into is that Architects often look to keep the C-value as constant

as humanely possible, so as to ensure a standard level of viewing for each customer in the

stadium. Simple algebraic manipulation from her results in obtaining N as the subject of

the equation leaves the expression:

18
See note 16, 17

14
 (R+C)(D+T )
• N= D
−R

Since the value of C here is fixed, it can be noted that as D and R increase while moving

further and further away both vertically and horizontally from the focal point, or the cricket

pitch, N increases at a certain pace as well, which can be calculated. This results in a

seating bowl, where the riser height increases the higher up you go. However, such a design

is not realistically possible, as ever increasing riser heights translates into ever increasing

step heights, which is a great inconvenience to consumers. Therefore, stadium architects

and designers opt to divide the stands into different seating sections in order to maintain

uniformity. Each seating section has uniform riser heights, and a small gap usually exists

between seating sections to facilitate them being at a higher level. Because of the need to

keep the riser heights uniform, each seating section has varying C values, which translates to

the sightline of each seat in a seating section being different. As we move to higher seating

sections, the riser height increases as well in order to maintain an acceptable C value for

19
each seat within the section, usually taken as 60 millimeters.

19
Sheard, Rod. Sports Architecture. Taylor Francis Ltd, 2016, p 47,48.

15
3 Method

3.1 Stadium Design

Figure 10: Diagram of seating sections

I designed a hypothetical stadium on a much smaller scale, with seating arrangements that

correspond to those mentioned earlier. There are three separate seating sections, each with

60 seats and each section’s riser height (N) is greater than the section before. By doing so,

architects can partially accommodate for the decreasing C values as you move higher and

farther away from the cricket field.

As per the standard values for riser height, we can take the first section’s Riser Height (N)

to be 220 mm, the second section’s to be 330 mm and the third (highest) section’s to be 400

mm. The height difference between sections was taken as 5 metres and the T value (seating

16
 20 21
row depth) as 600 mm, adhering to the standard practice in stadiums.

3.2 Ideal distance and height determination

We must now flesh out our stadium. The first seat is established at ground level. The

last (60th ) seat in the section was then calculated as being at a distance of 112.9 metres by

multiplying the T value of 600 millimetres with 59, as there were 59 remaining seats in the

stand, before being added to 77.5 (the distance from the focal point of the pitch to the first

seat in the stand). The height of the last seat was determined by multiplying the N value of

220 mm associated with this section by 59 as well to reach a result of 12.98 metres. Hence

two points that correspond to the first and the last seat of the first section were obtained:

(77.5, 0) and (112.9, 12.98) respectively. Both of these points lie along the same line, since

the N value is constant between the seats in a single section. Thus, a linear equation was

obtained for the first seating stand, which could be substituted into the earlier equation

derived through Regiomontanus’ problem to find the best seat in terms of depth perception.

The equation calculated from the two points was

• z = 0.367x − 28.417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 5)

20
“Bleacher Design FAQs - Architects: Dant Clayton.” Dant Clayton. Elevate Your View,
www.stadiumbleachers.com/architects/FAQs.
21
“Regulations Explained UK.” Pear Stairs, www.pearstairs.co.uk/staircase-buillding-regulations/.

17
 Figure 11: Sample field with relative distances marked 22

z
We then substitute the relevant values appropriately into the expression z 2 +b2 −150b
. We can

also equate q, the distance from the focal point to the seat in question, to (b – 75) (q is also

equal to ‘D’). x is measured from the pitch and b is defined as the distance from the farther

end of the field to the respective seat under study, hence (b - 75) would be equal to x, since

the width of the particular frame under study is 152.5 metres (including the 2.5 metre gap

between the first seat and the edge of the field) and the pitch is located halfway across the

field.

At this moment, let us qualify what exactly the variables are with respect to the cricket field.

• x axis – it is the major axis in this case, origin is taken as the centre of the field.

• z – height. Represented by the variable z for each seat studied

22
Kate. “New Zealand ODI Tours from £5,950.” CricTours, 19 Jan. 2018, www.crictours.com/new-
zealand-2018-odi-tour/.

18
 • y axis – taken as the minor axis. Will be used later for elliptical adjustments

• The lines of a and b both vary depending on the seat we take, they both lie along the

same line as the x axis in our current sample study.

We then perform the calculations and substitutions as follows.

• x = b − 75

• b = x + 75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Eq. 6)

Upon performing the adequate substitutions, we are now left with an expression, which we

equate to the variable f

z
• f= z 2 +(x+75)2 −150(x+75)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 7)

After this, we replace the variable ‘y’ with the linear function y = 0.367x − 28.417 which

was obtained earlier

0.367x−28.417
• f= (0.367x−28.417)2 +(x+75)2 −150(x+75)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. (Eq. 8)

Rather than simplifying this expression, it was directly inputted into the Desmos Graphing

tool to determine the maxima point, where the angle subtended would be the largest. This

was mainly done in order to circumvent the error-prone, manual calculating the maxima

through differentiation,

Instead of inputting Eq. 8 directly, I chose to introduce a positive constant as a scaling

factor to ensure that the maxima and minima are pronounced and identifiable. However,

19
instead of using the (b – a) length of 150 metres, I set the factor as 100,000, thus making

the results clearly visible.

From here, the equation to be graphed became

0.367x−28.417
• f = (100000) (0.367x−28.417)2
+(x+75)2 −150(x+75)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 9)

Figure 12: Plot of the equation. X axis denotes the distance from the focal point (pitch)
while y axis denotes the height

The exact local maxima of this plot is highlighted with the purple marker, located at the

20
coordinates (95.832, 186.51). The x coordinate is the only coordinate which is relevant to

our purposes and indicated that the seat with the maximum angle is located at a distance

of 95.382 metres from the pitch, which is at (0, 0). This distance still falls within the seats

of the first stand but due to the seat being in the first stand and a relatively lower height of

approximately 6.56 metres (calculated by inputting into the linear equation representing the

seats of this stand), the angle that is actually subtended would be less than other, higher

placed seats located within the stadium. It must be noted that all values before x=77.5 (x

intercept)should be discarded. This is because the first seat in the stand is at 77.5 metres

and at a height of 0 metres. Anything before this is irrelevant as there is no seat that exists

there. Thus, the minima that exists before the maxima that we take is unrelated. The same

holds true for the graphs of the next two sections, as given below. The points before the

first seat of the respective stand can be discarded.

The same process can be repeated for the next two sections: adding the 5 metre height

difference to the height of the last seat in the lower section to obtain the height for the first

seat in the next

section and taking the new ‘N’ (riser height) value that corresponds to the particular section.

The graphs for both of these sections are below.

21
 Figure 13: Graph for the second section

For the second section, the first seat is located the same 112.9 metres from the pitch as the

last seat in the first section. The height for this seat is also 5 metres higher, thereby setting

it at 17.98 metres. The green point in this figure indicates the local maxima: the distance

at which the angle subtended is maximized. In this case, the point is located at a distance

of 105.124 metres.

22
 Figure 14: Graph of seating curve for the third stand

In this case, the blue marker shows the maxima of this stand to be at a distance 117.239

metres from the pitch. The last seat in the second stand has the coordinates (148.3, 37.45),

hence the first seat for this stand is at ( 148.3, 42.45), accounting for the 5 metre gap in

height between sections.

Both of the ideal seats for each section are located before the actual seating starts for that

stand. However, the distance between the ideal 105.124 metre seat and the 112.9 metre first

seat in the second stand is much smaller than the distance between the 117.239 metre ideal

seat and 148.3 metre first seat for the third stand. Therefore, it is safe to say that the quality

of view offered by the first seat in the second stand is much closer to ideal when compared

23
to that of the third stand. Furthermore, the first seat in the second stand provides a greater

angle subtended and is also much closer to the field, something that is important in a small

ball sport such as cricket. There is no issue with the ‘C’ value either, since there is nothing

obstructing the view of the first seat. Hence, we can conclude that the best seat within the

stadium is the first seat in a slightly elevated stand, as it is in this case.

3.3 Generalization to an Ellipse

After obtaining the correct length and height of the most suitable seat, we must now gen-

eralize the formula to obtain our solution. We must calculate the angle for the entire ring

of seats in order to precisely narrow down on those with the greatest view. In order to do

this, we formulate an equation for the cricket field in its entirety, utilizing the equation of

an ellipse.

Figure 15: Cricket ground seen as an ellipse 23

23
Das, Tarun. “List Of Major Cricket Stadiums In India.” TravellersJunction, Admin,
travellersjunction.com/worlds-wonders/list-of-major-cricket-stadiums-in-india/.

24
The equation of an ellipse is written as

x2 y2 24
• b2
+ a2
=1

where b corresponds to half of the major axis and a corresponds to the minor axis. Since

the sport under study is cricket, which involves the use of relatively smaller balls, the seats

that are closer to the pitch are valued higher than those farther away whose angles are also

maximized. In other words, those seats whose ‘D’ values (the horizontal distance from the

focal point (the pitch) to the seat) are smaller will be considered as better in quality, as the

guarantee of being able to accurately follow the small ball increases the closer you are to

the pitch. In essence, a function that represents the ‘D’ value of every maximized individual

angle that was calculated earlier should be created and the minima of this should be found

in order to obtain a suitable result.

Take the seat we have already calculated to be ideal, for example. This seat is located

precisely at a distance of 112.9 metres away from the pitch at a height of 17.98 metres and

lies along the major axis of the ellipse that is the field. The precise angle that this seat

subtends can be calculated through manipulation of the Regiomontanus expression that was

derived earlier.

• tan θ = tan (α − β)

z


• tan θ = (b − a) z 2 +ab

24
Learning, Lumen. “College Algebra.” Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/waymakercollegealgebra/chapter/equations-
of-ellipses/.

25
 z



• θ = arctan (b – a) z 2 +ab

From here, one can calculate the precise angle that the first seat offers when viewing the

field by substituting the relevant values.

  
17.98
• θ = arctan (150) 17.982 +(112.9−77.5)(112.9+77.5)

• θ = 19.91◦

Such an angle fits well into the field of view of an individual, but it will not stay the same as

we move around the stadium, all while staying in the first row of seats in the second stand.

The angle subtended by that first seat will differ due to the field and thereby the ring of

first row seats being an ellipse. Ultimately, a greater angle means that one can see the field

better and hence, is more desirable. Therefore, in order to prove this, we must incorporate

an equation for the ellipse representing the ring of first row seats into our angle calculations

and maximize the output.

The b value of this ellipse is already known to us as 112.9 metres, since the seats we had

previously analysed were lying on the major axis of the field. The a value of the ellipse can

be found from the minor axis of the field: 140 metres. Since the second stand is always

a fixed number of seats away from the field, which each share the same seating depth (‘T’

value), the first seat of the second section is always 35.4 more metres away (as shown in

section 3.2) from the pitch than the first seat in the first section, which is at 72.5 metres

when considering the 2.5 metre gap from the field. Thus, the total distance for this seat from

the edge of the field is 37.9 metres. The a value of the ellipse representing the ring of seats

in question is then determined as 107.9 metres. The equation for this ellipse is as follows.

26
 x2 y2
• 112.92
+ 107.92
= 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 10)

It is important to keep in mind that the x and y here are different from those taken earlier.

Here, these serve as a representation of the field from a bird’s eye view.

The expression of (b – a) must first be resolved. As stated earlier, it simply represents the

distance across the field at a specific point. When looking at this with an ellipse in mind,
p
one can see that for any point, (b – a) would be equal to 2 x2 + y 2 − 37.9 ). We can then

utilize the Eq. 10 to reach a single variable expression for (b – a).

x2 y2
• 112.92
+ 107.92
=1

 
2 2 x2
• y = 107.9 1− 112.92

q 
x2


• (b − a) = 2 x2 + 107.92 1 − 112.92
− 37.9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 11)

From here, we can insert this expression into the original Regiomontanus calculations. Let

us equate the the right hand side of Eq. 11 to q, for representation purposes.

 
x x


• (b – a) x2 +ab
=q x2 +37.9(q+37.9)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Eq. 12)

The significance of 37.9 is that it is equivalent to a, the distance from the seat to the edge

of the field. Notice that we added 37.9 to q. In effect, this was (b – a) + a and leaves us

with b.

 
x
We then take tan-1 (q x2 +37.9(q+37.9)
) and upon plotting it using Desmos Graphing software,

we can obtain a graph representing the angle subtending the field at different points on the

ellipse of seats.

27
 Figure 16: Angles for all seats in the row we are considering

This plot shows that the angles for all seats within the row are nearly the same: for the seat

exactly along the minor axis, the angle (y-intercept in this case) that is subtended is the

smallest at 19.609 degrees, while it is the largest for the original seat from which we derived

this process at 19.914 degrees. Such a small degree of variation can be confidently omitted

and thus, the angle subtended is the same for all seats in the first row of the second stand.

28
4 Conclusion

Since the angle subtended by each seat in the ellipse roughly remains the same, we must

then utilise other factors to answer the question "Which seat in a cricket stadium

mathematically qualifies as being the best, based solely on the quality of view?".

For this, we can recall the observations noted within the methodology section about cricket

being a small-ball sport. Evidently, due to the nature of the cricket ball, sitting closer to the

pitch, where most of the action takes place in cricket, would be ideal. Therefore, both seats

directly along the minor axis and straight in front of the pitch are best, since they are the

closest to the field. This observation is in line with the hypothesis posed of the seats in the

‘N’ stand of Chinnaswamy Stadium being ideal.

4.1 Limitations

However, it is important to remember that there are numerous other factors involved in

deciding the best seat in the cricket stadium (price and atmosphere are examples). Further-

more, specific stadiums will each have their own architectural intricacies, which automatically

remove certain seats from the debate. The location of pillars, roofs and other structural all

vary from sample to sample. Additionally, cricket fields around the world differ greatly in

size and shape. They are often irregularly designed and may not even be elliptical in shape.

This example with these hypothetical values intend to serve as a basis point for one to decide

which seat to choose. Upon inputting one’s own values depending on the stadium, a different

solution may be reached. Therefore, this investigation serves as a basis for one to build on

29
with their own specifics.

There were also questions left unanswered through this investigation. For example, the

presence of sunlight and shadows were not analysed, and modelling the progression of the

sun and shadows throughout the game could provide a different answer.

30
5 References

“Bleacher Design FAQs - Architects: Dant Clayton.” Dant Clayton. Elevate Your View,

www.stadiumbleachers.com/architects/FAQs. 10 Jun. 2019.

Cavort. “Birds Eye View of Cricket Ground Reveals to Sydney City.”

Getty Images, www.gettyimages.in/detail/video/birds-eye-view-of-cricket-ground-reveals-to-

sydney-stock-video-footage/479671844. 15 May. 2019.

“Cricket Ground.” Sports News, Sportskeeda, www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/cricket-ground.

12 May. 2019.

Cricket Match at Seddon Park, Hamilton, Waikato, North Island, New Zealand Aerial,

Davidwallphoto.com, www.davidwallphoto.com/detail/58626-Cricket-match-at-Seddon-Park,-

Hamilton,-Waikato,-North-Island,-New-Zealand--aerial.html. 14 May. 2019

“Cricket.” Sitefinitycms-Staging, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural In-

dustries,

www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/cricket. 12 May. 2019.

Das, Tarun. “List Of Major Cricket Stadiums In India.” TravellersJunction, Admin,

31
travellersjunction.com/worlds-wonders/list-of-major-cricket-stadiums-in-india/. 17 May. 2019

Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds. Sports Grounds Safety Authority, 2018.

Hanson, Keith. “Where to Sit For a Football Game - A Comprehensive Guide.” RateY-

ourSeats.com, RateYourSeats, 4 Sept. 2015, www.rateyourseats.com/blog/cheap_seats/where-

to-sit-for-a-football-game. 4 Jun. 2019.

Kate. “New Zealand ODI Tours from £5,950.” CricTours, 19 Jan. 2018, www.crictours.com/new-

zealand-2018-odi-tour/. 17 Jun. 2019

Learning, Lumen. “College Algebra.”

Lumen, courses.lumenlearning.com/waymakercollegealgebra/chapter/equations-of-ellipses/.

2 Jul. 2019.

Letson, Benjamin, and Mark Schwartz. “The Regiomontanus Problem.” Mathematics Mag-

azine, vol. 90, no. 4, 2017, pp. 259–266., doi:10.4169/math.mag.90.4.259. 16 May. 2019.

Mishra, Aniruddha. “M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore: Seating Arrangement, Layout,

Parking, Stands, Stats.” Sports News, Sportskeeda, 23 Mar. 2016, www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/m-

chinnaswamy-stadium-seating-arrangement-layout-parking-stands-stats. 13 May. 2019.

Muljadi, Paul. “Regiomontanus’ Angle Maximization Problem.” Academia.edu - Share Re-

32
search, www.academia.edu/3659994/Regiomontanus_angle_maximization_problem. 14 May.

2019.

“Regulations Explained UK.” Pear Stairs, www.pearstairs.co.uk/staircase-buillding-regulations/.Sheard,

Rod. Sports Architecture. Taylor Francis Ltd, 2016. 10 Jun. 2019.

Shephard, Paul. Sightlines. University of Bath, 2012,

people.bath.ac.uk/ps281/maths_talk/olympic/teacher_notes/worksheet_sightlines.pdf. 7 Jun.

2019

Simpson, Menelik. “England V Sri Lanka at Lords.” Mirror, 25 June 2014,

www.mirror.co.uk/sport/gallery/england-v-sri-lanka-lords-3634134. 12. Jun. 2019

User, Super. “Home.” Football, www.football-stadiums.co.uk/articles/where-to-sit-in-a-football-

stadium/. 4 Jun. 2019

33
6 Appendix

6.1 Direct application of Regiomontanus’ Problem in a multivari-

able manner

The question that may arise for some is why we did not tackle the problem directly right at

the beginning. As the original problem that Regiomontanus posed involved a single variable

in the x direction (moving forwards and backwards so the painting appears the largest),

single-variable maximization was necessary to determine the answer. Since we now have two

variables (moving forwards, backwards, up and down), the easiest way to solve it should be

through multivariable calculus. I thought along these lines originally as well and attempted

to maximize the equation in this manner. Going back two Eq. 2, I progressed as described

below.

x x
• x2 +ab
= x2 +b2 −150b

We take x as constant, differentiating with respect to b and equating the result to 0 to obtain

one possible maxima point.

∂ x

−x(2b−150)
• ∂b x2 +b2 −150b
= (x2 +b2 −150b)2

After equating the expression to 0, we obtain one equation, from which we simplify to a

solution

• −2bx + 150x = 0

Here, upon factoring out –x, we reach the equation

34
 • −2b + 150 = 0

150
• b= 2

As seen here after one level of differentiation, we are presented with an impossible result,

where the angle subtended is maximized directly above the ground. In other words, the view

represents one when adopting a birds-eye-view of the stadium. This is shown in the below

figure.

Figure 17: Birds eye view of a sporting field in Sydney, Australia 25

Because I arrived at this answer, I had to consider the architectural design of the stadium

itself in order to reach the desired conclusion.

25
Cavort. “Birds Eye View of Cricket Ground Reveals to Sydney City.” Getty Images,
www.gettyimages.in/detail/video/birds-eye-view-of-cricket-ground-reveals-to-sydney-stock-video-
footage/479671844.

35
6.2 Ideal seat along the shorter axis.

A certain point that may require a certain amount of clarification came in the stage of

generalization to an ellipse. After determining the best seat in our initial frame of reference,

we assumed that the same seat would be ideal for all the seats in the same row across the

stadium, without any real clarification. In order to prove this, we can conduct the same

angle-maximization calculation for another seat in the same row, namely the seat along the

minor axis of both the seating ellipse and the field. Since this seat is the closest to the

field and we have already shown the major axis seat to be ideal, all other seats which fit in

between could be accurately judged based on this result.

We already know that this seat is 107.9 metres away from the pitch and 17.98 metres high.

The last seat in this stand is them found exactly how we did earlier using the same ‘T’ and

‘N’ values which we used before for the second stand. Thus the last seat is found to be

143.3 metres far and 37.45 metres high. When repeating the exact same steps as illustrated

in section 3.2 while replacing the relevant values, a maximum point can be found at 80.12

metres. Although this may seem far from the seat we had taken earlier, the angle we had

calculated earlier (19.609 degrees). On top of this, any seat closer to the field will have

a smaller angle subtended, thereby compromising one’s depth perception. Hence, such a

generalization was feasible.

36