The tools [the seeking of pattern in order to understand] we use to dig with become part of the structure[s] and the conversion of these perceived structures into patterns makes the differentiation of perceived and perceiver impossible and unnecessary, even inescapable?

One, if not the most powerful tool is measure or number. It has become in all its myriad forms [from music to mathematics....] a hugely successful self-generating modeller of realities [with a life of its own] capable as an analogue or metaphor of interconnecting through measure all aspects of our experience [manifesting the current and common bedrock of our different cultures], giving shape and expression to our evolving exploration and interconnections of inner and outer space. It has become a common form of denotation that interrelates not only all human understanding [informs communication] but also makes that understanding an active ingredient in the accessible order [ relationships] of things, an important player with/of principles that appears to referee the Game of Life [and unlife, if such a division or any division is meaningful!]

Having dug down, using and exploring patterns, from perceived reality, to the notion that all we can have and share are models of reality, through a few layers of bedrock which revealed that things/ideas were dependent on and composed of relationships, to the patterns and structures that determine relationships, I now begin to recognise the nature and role of number and underpinning the nature of number and of number in nature are, it seems, digits, as my current array of elementary particles. [Although I am sure that behind digits are more esoteric particles that would be better tools and aids to insight for a model more relevant, more an expression of our current awareness, I cannot as yet access them]

The idea of a non-mathematician, non symbolic logician looking at digits again, let alone in the hope of any fresh insights may [and did to me] seem somewhat presumptuous and/or foolish but fortunately I was not alone [one never is].

A combination of events, books and peoples responses to the results of the early diggings encouraged me to continue the exploration of digits. In order to map this exploration of digits I had to ensure that the rules I laid down were to operate as effective tools.

Rule 1. Reduction:

All numbers of more than one digit to be reduced to a single digit by the simple method, well known to and used by the ancients, of adding the value of all digits until only a single digit is left: e.g.144 is seen as 1+4+4 which =9.

Thus from the world of number was plucked the family of digits 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 0. It was their life, their relationships, the symmetries and the roles they played in their family, their processes of generation and regeneration, their emerging characters and of course their metaphorical resonances in and for past and present cultures.... as semi-autonomous holons... on an unfolding continuum ....in the beginning.... of the game of life. See pages...

Rule 2. Colour:

To enhance the relationship between the digits and their different functions and qualities, each digit is allotted a colour. The colours chosen are White[0], Cyan[1], Blue[2], Light grey[3], Magenta[4], Green[5], Mid grey[6], Yellow[7], Red[8] and Black[9]. This produces three triads, the three additive primaries 1, 4 and 7, the three subtractive secondaries 2, 5 and 8 and three neutrals 3, 6 and 9.

In order to amplify the emerging character of the individuals and their working relationships, I decided to add colour. The application of the colour was not arbitrary. It seemed natural and necessary to allow a richer and more layered reading of their behaviour. Colour, a powerful subjective sensation can be and is ordered and managed by a variety of systems [CIE, Pantone, Munsell, etc.] so that it can be manipulated and controlled, materially, quantitatively and qualitatively. Here it gives to the existing relationship as determined by value, an alternative reading as determined by the relationships between colours as derived from the chosen system and one that is loaded by cultural and emotional attachments of symbolism [socio-psycho-physiological baggage]. The system chosen is Hickethiers Colour System designed to make mixing and matching easier by in part giving each colour a 3x digit number which indicates by each digit the proportion of the three primaries on a scale of 0-9 which together make up the colour in question.

See pages....

The use of the values 0-9 and the link thereby of this whole system to the digits 0-9 is clearly helpful in our game thus allowing phenomena to be measured by colour as well as by number and allowing interrelationships to be generated consistently and interactively, i.e. complimentarity, contrast, warm, cool, duals, triads of primaries, secondaries and neutrals etc. What makes this system particularly useful in this context is the fact that the colours not only have a number which establishes their interrelationships but also they have a place in space as defined by the Hickethiers Colour Cube so we can also use colour as well as number to explore the unfolding of space. This unfolding concept is most relevant to the serial nature of number [ as time] as explored in space, aurally,etc. and carries with it notions of harmony, rhythm and melody, orders of proportion, growth patterns, wavelength and amplitude.Which in brings us to :

Rule 3. Transformations:

To adhere to the Laws of Symmetry [i.e. Translation, Rotation, Reflection and Dilation] and to retain any other inherent structural principles should they appear [i.e. Self-similarity, Harmonics etc.], whatever the chosen transformation, across number, source material or mode of operation [i.e. numeric, visual, aural etc.].

The third rule implied by the above sense of unfolding of similar structures in dissimilar situations is to recognise the unitary nature of experience and the essential inseparability of phenomena. Phenomena, which whilst on occasions need to be examined separately or even out of context nevertheless are usually found to share certain fundamental symmetries. The notions of symmetry are closely linked to those of transformation which in addition to geometrical or topological transformations may include the effect of manipulation by material, process or medium or indeed the very cultureÓ in which the phenomena are spawned.

Creativity, in humans is largely driven by recognition [Eureka!] of similarities of often simple patterns/infrastructures in dissimilar phenomena, at different scale, materials, processes or contexts - i.e. by metaphor. Such similarities, unsurprisingly, also occur in nature [of which we are part]. Growth is driven by simple patterns which are in themselves self-generating, achieving an apparent complexity and/or differentiation often ornamented by perturbations caused by overlaps with other often similar patterns sometimes developing at different speeds...similar waveforms but of different length and/or amplitude. Digits as number can be seen not only to measure but also to to mimic these evolutionary patterns raising the question...do they in fact generate the pattern? Certainly the power of mathematics to self-generate patterns ahead of their discovery in nature is well documented and implies that mathematics [and other systems of in-form-ing, of under[pinning]standing?] was discovered rather than invented by humanity.

Digits as the fundamental particles of number can be seen as inscribing and describing so much of our experience and expression - key elements that give measure to our values, moral and aesthetic and thus helps shape our map our reality. We find that number can expose from within its own structure those relationships that underpin the processes we are all part of.

This is not a new idea but one that is as old as humanity, one whose presentation however requires and usually gains review and reformatting in the face of cultural change.It is again surfacing as we seek out [and as yet see only darkly] those simple relationships that underlie the seemingly, increasing complexity of a universe on the edge of chaos.