Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The Mathematics of Existence

There are three kinds of people -- those who are good at math and those who aren’t.

If you’ve failed to detect a mathematical error in the previous sentence, perhaps you should read no further.

When I enrolled in college many moons ago, I majored in mathematics. I would have preferred majoring in pocket billiards or chasing skirts, but they weren't on the curriculum.

Math was always my best subject, but there's no money in it. I eventually switched to Management of Information Systems (computer science) and embarked on a quest to climb corporate ladders. When I finally realized the purpose in life was to discover the purpose in life, I abandoned all that materialistic nonsense and became a writer/teacher/hermit.

Mathematics contains no ambiguity or hypocrisy . It possesses the truth.

There is a mathematical sequence that can be seen in all of existence. It's called the Phi Ratio, sometimes referred to as the Golden Mean Spiral.

The Phi Ratio is a proportion.

The value of a Phi Ratio is approximated at 1.618033988798948482.... This is a transcendental number in that it literally goes on forever without repeating itself.

Suppose you have a line with a distance of X. If you break X into two segments (X1 & X2) so that the ratio of X to X1 is the same as the ratio of X1 to X2, that ratio is said to be a Phi Ratio.

In the form of equations, it would appear as:

X = X1 + X2
X / X1 = X1 / X2 = 1.6180339…

A medieval mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci, discovered a specific sequence used by plant life during the growth process. The sequence, known as the Fibonacci Sequence, turned out to be 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, etc.

As was later determined, this sequence has a mathematical formula.

If you start with one and divide by one, then divide the sum of the previous dividend and divisor by the previous dividend, you wind up with the Fibonacci Sequence, the formulation of the Phi Ratio.

Basically, the results keep approaching the transcendental number of the Phi Ratio (approximately 1.6180339...), as follows:

1 / 1 = 1
2 / 1 = 2
3 / 2 = 1.5
5 / 3 = 1.667
8 / 5 = 1.600
13 / 8 = 1.625
21 / 13 = 1.6154
34 / 21 = 1.6190
55 / 34 = 1.6176
89 / 55 = 1.6181
144 / 89 = 1.61798
233 / 144 = 1.61805
377 / 233 = 1.61803

This logarithmic sequence is a primary geometric pattern of the universe. It can be seen in distant spiral galaxies and all forms of life on earth.

The growth of all plant life is based on the Phi Ratio. This growth pattern allows the organism to grow at a constant rate without having to change shape

The bone structure of animal and human life is based on the Phi Ratio. In humans, the first bone in the finger is in Phi Ratio to the second bone, which is in Phi Ratio to the third bone, and so forth. The human hand is in Phi Ratio to the forearm, which is in Phi Ratio to the upper arm. The Phi Ratio is also present in the bones of the feet and the legs.

The Phi Ratio pattern is the basis for the Golden Mean Spiral, which goes on forever without a beginning or an end. The Golden Mean Spiral is an integral part of Sacred Geometry, a study of the evolution of mind, consciousness and spirit.

The great Pyramids of Giza are positioned within a Golden Mean Spiral (Fibonacci Sequence). From aerial photographs, the spiral passes through the exact center of each pyramid.

Just thought you’d like to know.

However, the odds of Leonardo Fibonacci or the Phi Ratio ever popping up in a conversation are about the same as the odds of winning the Kentucky Derby without a horse between your legs.

There are three kinds of people – those who perceive the mathematical precision of a flower, those you appreciate the magical splendor of a flower, and those who are blind.

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Quote for the Day – "The highest form of pure thought is in mathematics." Plato
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