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beyond lhe rigour ol lhe srrriple Euelidean regu-
larilies beloved ol leshnologisls and arehileels, lhm
remains mosl (m alll ol narure Naluie imperleelly
round, never llal or square, linear only liar mlanrlesunal
disrariees, and slubbomly abnormal. Nalure llowing
mwling, (lying weeping, and in apparenl duaniy.
Nalure beyond pnclse measuremenl, and
romprehenslble only as serisalion and syslem
Nalhlngwemnolaserve is regular, p-my because we
ourselves are unperleel observers We lell lorruiies lor
w llieml on llie wrirhing ol enrrails or ralnode ray
graphias, on lhe xiflm ol dise or bans, or an ai-iays
ol mum. Are lhe readings ol lea leaves any less
reliable lhan lhe pruieelions ol pollslersl Regular
rhings are rhose lew lhal are meehaniral iir shaped
lleiriporarilyl by our own rem-med wmld view, llaey
soon bemnie irregular as rime erodes lllei-ri Trulh, lrlie
lhe worldrlianges in response lomlormanon
There are ar leasl lhese wonhwliile rashs lo allempr
l. A MollE GENERAL PATTERN UNDERs
STANDING, bolli as anemprs al loi-rmrig more gmwnl
pallern models, and as exnmpks ol rialural
phenomena lrial demanslrale such models
2 A UNKING DISCXPUNE lhal equally apples lo
geography, geology, rriusie, irl, asrronomy, parliele
physics, eeonamus, physiology, and reelinology Thls
linhing discipirie wnuld a ly lo eonse us design
irsell and m lhe inlormalian lluw and rransler
praeesses |hil underlie all our diseiplrnes. Such a
unilying roneepl has greal relevanre lo eduealirm, al
every level lioin primary lo posl—graduale disciplines
3 GUIDES lo PATFERN APPLICATION, some ex-
arriples of how applied palleming Ichuves our desired
ends iii everyday lile, where role learnrng, lirlear
llurlllirig or Eudldull geoialelry have all lailed lo aid
ur in lorinularlng suslamable selllenlenls lr is iii lhe
appliealiorl el harmonie pallems lhal we derrionslrale
uurcomprellension ol lhe mearurig ol naruie and hle
mere have been many books all me subieel ol sym-
bols, palrerris, growlh, lurni, delormalion, and
symmelry The aulhors ullen abandon llle (XHEIW
shorl ol devising general models, or rusl as a salis»
l-Iclory mirhemarieal soluliun is evolved lor one or
more pallei-ils, and almosl always beloae allempririg la
eieale applied illuslralionsol how rheirellons assisl us
in practical lire allairs, Some are merely eoribenl lo lisl
mmplesi or lo mahe eaialogues ol phenomenaoahers
prelend lhal meanings lie in pallern or number
alone—dial panems are symbols ol arcane knowledge.
and lhey asserl lhal only an unqueslloned belrel
unloeld lhair powers
The simple pailern models ligured herein are in-
lended id be a uselul adluriel lo designers and
eduealois They also illuslrale how we can pomay our
lrurilririg aboul lire, landscapes, and lhe rorrirriunaliry
lhal rs niluie learning a niasler pallem is very like
learning a pi-ineiple. ir may be apphcabk over a wide
range at phenomena, some eompler and some simple
As an abslraelioii, ll assisls us lo gain meaning lilim
llle and laridseape and lo comprehend allied
pwflomtna.
One ean spend endless hours seeking lurlher
reirnlilir, mysrieal, or bopologieal insighls mlo pallem.
'nle proeess is addieliye, and I am as unwilling lo
abandon llilseliaprer as lwas lo slarl ll, bull Ims| iliaa
olhers, beller equipped, Will expand and lurlher
exphin rlie basie eoneepls i believe rhal ii is in
sophisliealed palrern appllcallon lhal lhe lulure or
design lies, and where many solulions lo innaelable
problems may be lound
We have a good grasp on lhe behaviours ol pallerri
iri iialural phenomena il we can explain lhe smmm
mings lin lernis ol lheir general pailerli olilhnrsl; llie
nelworlrs and BRANCH|NG ol lriburaries lgalhering
llowsl and dislribularies ldispersal ilowsl, llle
mums and flow regulanori wllhm olganlsms or |M
elerrieiils oi wind, waler, and magma, and illuniinale
how SCATTERED PHENOMENA aiase
rurllier, ll WAVE phenomena and sulEllMust
are rurilained wilhin our pallern analysrs, as real
waves or as liirie pulses, rhese and lheir reliaelioo and
rnrerlerence pallerris lurm anolher sel or pallern
generalors, responsible lm roasls, elouds, winds, and
lurbuleril or sl-reamlined liuw And, il we can sliow
how lhe pallerri ourhnes ol landscapes, slelelal pails,
or New phenomena lil logelher as MATRICES
(lmulodung selsl. or arise lrorn sueh malrlees leg.
whrrlwinds lmm lheianal eellsl, lheri we ean generale
whole landkape syslrnis or eomplele organisms lrom
a mosdk al sueh pallerns
ln nirure, eyenls an ordered or spared in dlscme
unrls There are smaller and larger orders ol evenls,
and ilwe arrange like loriris iii lheirardrrs, we Will lind
chislees ril measures ar cerlain sires, volumes, lengllas,
or other drrnerisioris. This is lrue lor river branehes,
sooal easles. aelrlerrlenl sire. marsupials ol lhe same
loriri and arrays ol dunes, planels, or galaxies,
in llle folluwlng pages, l W)“ lry lo irirlude all lhis
and lo derive il lroiri lhe basis ol a single simple
model lrigure ml, which, underslood in all ils pans,
has eaeh ol lhese phenomena, and a gieal many more
sublle inleienles, williiri il Nor all, or even rriany, ol
lnese shapes, symbols, syrrimelries, sealleis, or lorms
will be mdivlduflly descnbed or hguied here. bul lhe
bask parlerrl pails be lanelly described and relaled
lo eaeh olher The basir model ilsell is derived harm a
'scd rree lorin
We should nol ronluse lhe comprehension oi mm
wuh lhe knowledge 0! SUMANCEi llle map is rim
Lhe lemmryibnl an underslariding ol iorrn glves us a
beller comprehension ol luneliori. and suggesls
appropnale slralegies lor design
41
A GENERAL PATTERN MODEL
OF EVENTS
When we look abuur us in me world, we see me hills,
71