The bolt area was a nice way to find room ratios when computers were not widely available. Richard Henry Bolt created this diagram to indicate an accumulation of good room ratios. Instead of calculating each mode (by hand) to see the mode distribution, one could look at that diagram, increasing the chance of being near a good distribution.
amroc calculates and visualizes each mode in no time. So finding better room ratios and understanding their mode distribution have become much more accessible. I leave this diagram in here as it has excellent historical relevance, but I recommend not taking that shortcut and enjoying the possibilities of the computer age :) Sure, it can be overwhelming at the beginning to dive deep, but hey...there is help :)
sources:
- Bolt R.H.: "Angular Distribution of Normal Modes", JASA 11 (1939)