Sequential Patterns Applied to Human Experience
Math is a profound field, with applications seemingly as infinite as numbers themselves. Beauty of numbers lies in their vastness. The following is a hybrid work, comprised of two contrasting yet complementary aspects. First are the original number sequences, ranging from simple to complex, with explanations included.
The second aspect is a discursive analysis, of how the thinking style inspired by each sequence, can be used in other contexts. The application here is not always direct, but can be abstract, metaphorical, and philosophical. However, it is always relevant to our daily life and experience as humans, in significant ways. Each discussion of the item follows from an illustrative, italicized concept word, to help expand on some broader implications of these patterns.
The contents are: I. Sequence, II. Redefinition, III. Format, IV. Conformity, V. Index, VI. Prime
The first numerical sequence is the quintessential example prototype, of a straightforward problem and pattern.
I. {1, 2, 3, 4, …}
The illustrative concept here is Sequence. The answer is completely unambiguous, and provided we have 5 in our arsenal to choose from, we’d be foolish not to use it. An application to this in life, is to think of an easy question related to linear ordering, such as events in time, like figuring out what the day before yesterday was, or what we will plan to be doing next month. This is a case of the most elementary sequencing that we are exposed to, and made aware of.
This can be thought of as analogous to chronology, the most straightforward conception of time that we know, which governs our clocks and our calendars. Keep in mind that this proposition also introduces important basics, such as what is culturally accepted, i.e. the answer is only 5 in a culture where 5 follows 4. This also establishes the framework for all other kinds of problems. This is the bedrock concept of sequential reasoning.
On the one hand, our answering the question correctly is still to some degree limited by our knowledge of numerical basics (numeracy), but beyond that, there are no further layers to consider. Keep in mind this also follows from a fundamental unit of math, and the pattern is perfectly regular. This is…
