What is Patterns: Definition and 197 Discussions

A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated like a wallpaper design.
Any of the senses may directly observe patterns. Conversely, abstract patterns in science, mathematics, or language may be observable only by analysis. Direct observation in practice means seeing visual patterns, which are widespread in nature and in art. Visual patterns in nature are often chaotic, rarely exactly repeating, and often involve fractals. Natural patterns include spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tilings, cracks, and those created by symmetries of rotation and reflection. Patterns have an underlying mathematical structure; indeed, mathematics can be seen as the search for regularities, and the output of any function is a mathematical pattern. Similarly in the sciences, theories explain and predict regularities in the world.
In art and architecture, decorations or visual motifs may be combined and repeated to form patterns designed to have a chosen effect on the viewer. In computer science, a software design pattern is a known solution to a class of problems in programming. In fashion, the pattern is a template used to create any number of similar garments.

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  1. K

    Baking Pan Patterns: Causes & Explanations

    So a friend of mine baked some cookies, then noticed some patterns on the baking pan. The person asked me what caused these patterns, or even if they are just random... any ideas? http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/94/34124410150294532442373.jpg/
  2. R

    Diffraction Patterns: Calculate Wavelength of Light

    Homework Statement A beam of monochromatic light is incident on a single slit of width 0.560 mm. A diffraction pattern forms on a wall 1.35 m beyond the slit. The distance between the positions of zero intensity on both sides of the central maximum is 2.32 mm. Calculate the wavelength of the...
  3. S

    Analyzing wave interference patterns

    Hello, this is my first visit to PF. I have a question that I can tell isn't very difficult, but I can't seem get my head around it, maybe i just need to review my text and make an attempt tomorrow. Homework Statement Consider the point P in the following diagram. Analyze this diagram to show...
  4. F

    Can all patterns in 3D have an equivalent equation in polynomial?

    Please Help me out with this one. Can all patterns in 2D or 3D, have an equivalent equation in polynomial?
  5. S

    Understanding which-way patterns in DCQE

    Figure 3 of the below shows 1 blob. http://www.fsc.ufsc.br/~lucio/2003-07WalbornF.pdf Other illustrations show 2 blobs...i.e. one for each slit. When does 1 blob happen and when does two blobs happen?
  6. B

    Predicting Coin Spin Patterns

    Hi all, Im new here so please be gentle. Whilst in the pub last night a game was started with spinning a coin. We got to the point where we could all spin the coin with our hands in a circle around the salt shaker, about 3cm diameter. We then moved on to the pint glass and achieved that...
  7. R

    Analyzing Burst Error Patterns: B15(4) Explained

    How do you determine burst error patterns so for example B15(4)? I do not understand the method at all
  8. S

    Beautiful Patterns Formed by Maurer Roses - Any Applications?

    Hi, I did this video using mathematica. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFxrHTfWegk It shows different patterns formed by Maurer Roses, see description on youtube. Does somebody know any application of this?
  9. jegues

    Thin Film Interference Patterns

    Homework Statement See figure attached. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Not too sure how to do this one. I tried thinking about what it was doing before the air was replaced with the liquid. With air, The first reflection would have no phase shift (glass...
  10. K

    Racquetball's strange bouncing patterns

    I play racquetball quite a bit as a hobby and competitively. One thing that I have noticed, and has baffled me for some time, is that on the sidewalls of a racquetball court, the ball's angle of incidence does not equal it's angle of reflection. It instead tends to (after repeated bounces)...
  11. JeremyEbert

    Music of the Primes: Maths Through Musical Patterns

    great article http://plus.maths.org/content/music-primes
  12. Z

    What is the Pattern in the Integration of (x^n)(e^x) dx?

    so I just introduced myself to the concept of integration by parts a few days ago, and today for practice I decided to try to redo one of the examples given in a youtube video without the assistance of youtube. That problem was int. (x^2)(e^x) dx, for which the answer is (e^x)(x^2 -2x + 2). So...
  13. G

    Exploring 3D Orbital Patterns of Planets in the Solar System

    I was wondering, after reading a few posts on various things related to 'The clockworks of the solar system' such as angular velocity and orbital periods,in a 3-dimensional sense, are planets orbital paths all over, or are they flat on one plane, varying in only 2 dimensions? i imagine it...
  14. R

    Trying to generate Turing patterns for Brusselator equations

    so my project is on reaction diffusion equations in 2d. i have been asked to reproduce known and published work to start off with and the system is the brusselator equations with diffusion terms. to put it simply my program doesn't work. now the parameter values for the equations are taken from...
  15. K

    Creating Patterns with Atoms: Can We Do It?

    Can we move atoms into any pattern we want? Thanks!
  16. O

    Electron Orbitals motion patterns

    I am wondering how is it that the electrons go from one elctron shell to another because I learned that the shells only meet in the nucleus of the element so how is it possible for it to change shells without becoming a nuetralized charge?
  17. E

    Patterns of remainders when dividing x^n/n

    I observed some patterns in some series involving taking the expression x^n and dividing it by n!, and looking at the remainder for each x, starting with x=0 or x=1 I was wondering if there is some kind of explanation of the patterns that seem to be present For example, looking at the...
  18. nomadreid

    Quasicrystals forming fractal patterns

    I have read (sorry, I no longer have access to the source, which is the reason for the question (1) below) that one can find a fractal pattern if one (a) shoots an electron through a two-dimensional plane perpendicular to a homogeneous magnetic field traversing a quasicrystal so that the...
  19. C

    Witnessing Colorful Interference Patterns with a Benham Top

    When i spin a benham top why do i see colors , Is this because of the dashed black lines , that i am now pulsing white light , so now the white light is out of phase and the red , green , yellow photons are interfering so i see colors , Is this is what is going on .
  20. V

    Terms to describe these patterns

    Or provide any additional information or resources about them? I'm thinking about how light would react when passing through certain substance/or geometric medium 3 concepts come to mind when considering the idea 1 the light (beam, frequency notwithstanding) enters a prism and is...
  21. B

    Circular Diffraction Patterns: What is the Correct Diameter of the Slit?

    Circular Diffraction Patterns HELP! Homework Statement Homework Equations theata_1=1.22(lambda)(L)/D L distance from screen, D diameter of slit w=2.44(lambda)(L)/D The Attempt at a Solution so this is what i did not sure where i went wrong maybe at rounding off...
  22. F

    Sound waves patterns produced by rifle fire

    I,ve noticed that when I fire a rifle that my left ear feels the most damage were my right ear feels allmost no damage. How can that be when my right ear is closest to the rifle chamber? I am right-handed.
  23. P

    Wave Generation from Point Sources: Interference Patterns and Radio Aerials

    Hi Everybody! I have been wondering about wave generation from point sources, and interference. I have noticed that if several point sources are sited in a line much more than one wavelength long, a very directional interference pattern develops. The closer the sources and the longer the line...
  24. T

    Are particles diffraction patterns?

    It seems like an interaction constrains the wave and creates a diffraction pattern that spreads through space and the rings of the diffraction pattern can likewise be constrained and create their own diffraction patterns.
  25. C

    Red vs. Microwave/Green Light: Diffraction Patterns

    If i shot a red laser through the top slit and microwave laser through the bottom slit what would we expect to see in the diffraction pattern would we see a double slit pattern or a single slit pattern , how would the microwaves interfere with the red photons , Or if this is too...
  26. O

    How to observe interference patterns with a simple experiment?

    Hello guys, I need desperate help. I am googling an simple experiment that can observe interference patterns ? can someone help me out please?
  27. C

    Exploring Interference Patterns in Air Wedges

    Homework Statement It's not a specific question. It's more of a general knowledge. As you know, an air wedge forms when two glass plates have one ends meeting each other and the other ends opening up. Here's the diagram...
  28. F

    Why do Newton Rings Form in Circular Patterns?

    why are Newton rings observed in a circuler pattern?
  29. stripes

    Applying a sinusoidal function to tidal patterns on the earth.

    Homework Statement At the time of a full moon, the tides repeat with a period of about 12 hours, and the depth of water in a certain channel varies between 2 meters and 6 meters in a way that can be modeled by an equation of the form D(t) = A + Bsin(ct + d), where A is the average depth and...
  30. O

    Calculating Wavelength of Laser Diffracted by Slit Patterns

    Homework Statement I am to calculated the wavelength of the laser I shone through different slit patterns to create diffraction patters on a screen. For the single slit diffraction, Data: xm is the distance from the central image to the mth minimum. x1 0.008 x2 0.015 x3 0.023 x4...
  31. B

    Random variability of wind patterns

    I've been wondering lately why the air currents don't travel in the same direction. The Earth spins constantly and each side is given roughly equal irradiance from the sun, so why does the wind not simply follow this direction (on a macro scale) of heat input? Instead it seems to mix quite...
  32. E

    Examining Wear Patterns of Tools in Manufacturing Process

    I'm trying to study wear patterns of tools in a manufacturing process. My plan of attack is the following: 1) pre-image the tool in the SEM 2) use the tool to machine a superabrasive material 3) remove the excess Aluminum from the tool that accumulates during the machining process using NaOH...
  33. I

    Southwest Sky Constellations: Most Recognized Patterns

    what are the most recognized constellations located towards the southwest sky?
  34. Somefantastik

    Airy Disk Patterns: Quality Criteria

    What criteria is used to judge the quality of an airy disk pattern?
  35. Loren Booda

    Mathematics concern exclusively the dissimilarity of patterns?

    Does any branch of mathematics concern exclusively the dissimilarity of patterns?
  36. E

    Could gravitational waves form interference patterns?

    If gravitational waves formed interference patterns, or just simply interfere as normal waves, couldn't that result in gravitational anomalies in absence of mass? Destructive interference could be thought of as negative gravity(dark energy), leading to expansive "forces", whilst constructive...
  37. M

    Stresses in Circular Bolt Patterns

    Hello, all. Can someone please direct me to a good source of information which explains how the threaded fasteners in a circular bolt pattern - such as used in a flanged joint - collectively "share the load", and how the stresses which arise due to tension, bending, and shear forces acting upon...
  38. F

    Can a formula be used to modify data patterns from linear to wave-like?

    If a pattern is found between two sets of data and one is linear and the other resembles a wave, is there some type of modification to make the wave linear? (so that it is related easier to the linear data). Like a formula that when the linear data is plugged in, it will produce the wave...
  39. N

    Irrational numbers and repeating patterns

    Hi, I want to show that an irrational number (let's say pi) can never have an (infinitely) repeating pattern (such as 0.12347 12347 12347 ...). Is it possible to 'proof' (or just make it more acceptable, I don't need a 100% rigorous proof) this easily, without using too much complicated math...
  40. daniel_i_l

    Finding Patterns in Binary Numbers: Probability

    Suppose I have a random binary number of length n>3 and another binary number of length 3 which we will call the "pattern". What are the chances that the pattern will appear in the number such that the spacing between the digits in the pattern are equal? For example, if the pattern is 101...
  41. G

    A way aroung determining which-paths in interference patterns?

    In Brian Greene's book 'The Fabric of the Cosmos' he introduces an experiment called the "delayed-choice quantum eraser". This was really a magnificent experiment at first sight but pretty unclear when I was done reading the results. The experiment basically goes like this: In each path that...
  42. P

    Can a Red Laser Create Beautiful Diffraction Patterns with Limited Materials?

    Hi I was wondering whether anyone could suggest ways of making nice diffraction patterns using a red laser. I work at a charitable school in Kazakhstan so am limited in terms of materials. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
  43. N

    Diffraction and interference patterns

    In Young's double slit experiment, how come the interefernece pattern produced does not take into account single slit diffraction? Thanks
  44. M

    Gravitational lensing and diffraction patterns

    Does gravitational lensing cause diffraction patterns, such as those seen by single, double, etc slit diffraction? In other words, would x-rays from object X get bent "less" than say microwaves or infrared? Would this happen if the light was passing between binary stars only, or could it...
  45. Q

    Diffraction Patterns Question

    OK, I'm working on a homework problem and I'm a little stuck. Problem: You want to detect th efringes in he diffraction pattern produced by sunlight passing through a fine slit in the blinds covering a window. You have available a filter that blocks all wavelengths except 550nm, and you...
  46. J

    Herztian dipole + radiation patterns

    Currently reading over some lecture notes on Hertzian dipoles and I want to confirm my understanding on why the E-field pattern is donut shaped. 1) The Herztzian (aka. 1/2 wave ) diploe has two terminals attached to a transmission line feeder. The feeder sends RF current into the terminals...
  47. A

    Frequency Patterns when Moving Microphone from 0-90 Degrees

    in playing a range of frequencies through a speaker 100hz- 10khz what patterns would be found as a microphone is moved from 0degrees in front of the speaker to 90degree perpendicular to the speaker cone that cna be measured with an oscilloscope? i'd expect the high frequencies will become less...
  48. W

    Finding Patterns in a Table - Can You Help?

    Hello to all of you guys, Is there any of you can help me finding the relationships/patterns of table that I attach below? (file name: puzzle.pdf) (The table consist of 350 rows and 20 columns, contains of numbers 0-9). Thank's.
  49. P

    Exploring Diffraction Patterns from Laser & Filtered Light

    1. The problem A HeNe laser (wavelength = 633nm) is used to illuminate an opaque plate containing a a specified aperture. The light which passes through the aperture falls on a screen at a distance of 4 m from the aperture plate. c) The aperture is replaced by two long rectangular slits...
  50. L

    Analyzing Patterns with Random Numbers

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The main aim of this question is to assess your understanding of the use of random numbers in analyzing patterns. The table below gives the number of births on each day of a week in all maternity hospitals in...
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