one explanation of symmetry
"Rotational symmetry is generally expressed by any whole number (n) from 1 to infinity. The number n expresses the number of times a motif unit is repeated during a complete (360 degree) rotation.
A rotational symmetry of n = 1 means that after a complete rotation of 360 degrees about an axis, all aspects of an object come into coincidence with themselves just once."
This quote came from my mineralogy text book, and when I threw the book away, I saved this page; it's on my fridge.
When I first read it, I was lying in the grass in Marine park in Bellingham. And I stopped at that sentence, looked over towards Orcas Island, and thought about all the times that I have probably come into coincidence with myself.
I haven't tried to figure out what kind of rotational symmetry I have as a whole person, but I find that it's more events and pieces of my life that come into coincidence with themselves...some only once so far, some many many times. Of course, I have no way of guaging if I have completed 360 degrees of rotation, or only 20...without that I can't begin to calculate my n.
But that's not the important part anyway. It's about recognizing the "motif units."
Huh. Units.
posted by Two Shoes @ 13:49
3 Comments:
dude.
DUDE!
you hurt my BRAIN!
seriously.
ouch.
okay.
i really enjoy this metaphor, despite the fact that i am pretty sure i am not all the way clear on the acutal math of the thing, the idea of coming into coincidence with one's self is one that i have thought about quite a bit.
and driven perhaps foolishly by my unfortunate desire to seal the metaphor up, i am trying to understand what "n" would be.
but regardless of what it is, i think i agree that it is not actually the important part.
look.
you made me start THINKING.
dude.
yeah, that hurt my brain too, but I think it was a good hurt, like s/m.
probably we should establish a safe-word for this blog.
mine is macaroni.
But iMedusa, get this part (I didn't put it up there)...if your n is equal to infinity, it means that you are CONSTANTLY coming into coincidence with yourself.
I mean, when I really think about it, most people probably have an n of infinity, but they're just not listening close enough to here those little coincidences with self go cliclicliclick...
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