I have always loved snowflakes. On a chairlift, with your head down into a biting wind, one is allowed about twenty minutes to study them settling on your clothes. They have two classes of symmetry; one is rotational and the other is reflectional.
In Group Theory seemingly disparate things can be classified together by their symmetries.
Snowflakes belong to Dihedral Group \(D_6\), of order \(12\). They have six rotational symmetries and six reflectional symmetries.
Fractals is another area of mathematics where snowflakes arise.
We have the Koch Snowflake. This is a finite area bounded by an infinitely long perimeter.
Conversely, we have the Gosper Curve, also known as the flowsnake, which is a plane-filling function.
Our young snowflakes must decide whether they want to settle on a firm base of older and wiser heads.
or whether they wish to create an avalanche which brings everything crashing down.
© OldTrout \(2022\)
We are saying goodbye to OldTrout (Caroline McNicholas) today.
13.00 Hrs: Porchester Crematorium, Upper Cornaway Lane, Portchester, PO16 8NE.
Thereafter:
14.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs: The Churchillian, Portsdown Hill Road, Cosham, PO6 3LS.
No flowers, any donations to Macmillan Cancer Support (In Caroline’s name) please:
She was a good friend and I will miss her. She leaves a son who I know will make her proud. Godspeed Caroline.
Swiss Bob
