Saturday, June 16, 2018

What is a pattern?

Photo license: CC BY-NC 3.0

What is a pattern? Here is my definition:
A pattern is something that recurs consistently
I believe that reality is filled with many patterns. Some patterns are observed while others are unnoticed. I also believe that a pattern doesn't need to be observed to exist. As human beings, we automatically search for consistencies to help us understand reality. Knowing patterns is essential for many diverse applications.

I believe that pattern recognition is one of the major goals of knowledge. For example, the equation, E=MC^2 is a pattern that was first discovered by Albert Einstein. Another example is the phenomenon that it takes about 365 days for the Earth to rotate around the sun. This pattern occurs consistently otherwise the seasons on Earth would be distorted.

What about a set of tiles making a pattern? I believe that my definition works for this if you consider the process of tile creation and tile placement as a phenomenon. The moment that a tile is placed out of order, the pattern is broken.

License: CC BY-SA 4.0