Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

I appreciate what you are saying, but noise looks like noise. Here's an example of a useful pattern: the blank line extending to the right from zero, corresponding to the numbers {n^2 | n in 1,2,3,...} and below it {n^2-1 | n in 1,2,3,...}.

Such a great example of a visualization helping to illuminate the abstract truths in numbers. Its obvious to most people that {n^2} contains no primes. Is it obvious that {n^2-1} doesnt't either?

(except where n=2)



n² - 1 = (n - 1)(n + 1)


precisely. maybe its a trivial example, but if no mathematician had discovered the factorization of n^2 - 1, this visualization device would have been a helpful clue.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: