OK, so each stargate has 39 symbols, one of which is the "point of origin" (PoO). Normal dialling involves 6 non-PoO symbols followed by the PoO symbol.
In an early episode there was a picture on a whiteboard in the background which looked like this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image%3...oordinates.png
I think Sam was explaining that an address represents 6 different points in space - the endpoints of the three lines in the diagram above. The actual destination point is the intersection of those three lines.
Can anyone confirm this ? It seems a little wasteful, as the three lines would rarely intersect at the same point. And only two lines are really necessary (which may not intersect, either).
A couple of alternatives (which I am not suggesting are true, but could also work):
1. The 6 symbols could represent a single coordinate in space (using some absolute frame of reference), as XXYYZZ. This would allow for 38x38 = 1444 units for the X, Y and Z coordinates, which is about right for the size of the milky way (diameter = approx. 100000 light years, so stargates would need to be at least 70 light years apart from each other, assuming the startgate system spans the whole milky way galaxy).
2. A distance and a direction would also work (DDDXYZ), but this doesn't seem to fit with the idea that the same address works from different locations ... unless it is not the distance and direction from that gate itself, but a common point (such as the centre of the galaxy).
David Fisher (new poster)
In an early episode there was a picture on a whiteboard in the background which looked like this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image%3...oordinates.png
I think Sam was explaining that an address represents 6 different points in space - the endpoints of the three lines in the diagram above. The actual destination point is the intersection of those three lines.
Can anyone confirm this ? It seems a little wasteful, as the three lines would rarely intersect at the same point. And only two lines are really necessary (which may not intersect, either).
A couple of alternatives (which I am not suggesting are true, but could also work):
1. The 6 symbols could represent a single coordinate in space (using some absolute frame of reference), as XXYYZZ. This would allow for 38x38 = 1444 units for the X, Y and Z coordinates, which is about right for the size of the milky way (diameter = approx. 100000 light years, so stargates would need to be at least 70 light years apart from each other, assuming the startgate system spans the whole milky way galaxy).
2. A distance and a direction would also work (DDDXYZ), but this doesn't seem to fit with the idea that the same address works from different locations ... unless it is not the distance and direction from that gate itself, but a common point (such as the centre of the galaxy).
David Fisher (new poster)
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