Do The Ancients like the number 3? (Details/Spoilers from "Suspicion")

[Z_2]

6 doesn't go into 9 but the number 3 does. 3x3=9. So if the Ancients use the number 3 it would work for the chevrons on the stargate.

Yeah, I know. But with the lack of any shapes with only 3 sides, and the observation from Mio below,

Another popular design in Ancient Architecture is alternating hexagons and 6 pointed stars.
We've seen it in several different places, Including The Lost City and Metamorphasis.

I was just thinking out loud that maybe 6 was the number that the Ancients preferred, but I really didn't think much about it. And I answered later that the common factor was 3 when aAnubisS said that 6 had 3 as a factor, which I already knew:

Yep, that's true. I was just observing the details of the city of Atlantis, which was laid out with 3 each of 2 different sizes of peninsulas, and then I noticed what at first looked like a cool triangular conference table (but is actually 6-sided because the 'points' of the triangle were 'cropped'), a hexagonal roof opening, and then of course there's the 9 chevrons, and 39 glyphs, and taken together, the greatest common factor is 3. So that's why I figured 3 was some favorite digit to the Ancients.

So do you think that the reason why the number 3 or a multiple thereof is prominent in the Ancients' designs is some big mystery like the (real-life) conjecture why honeybees use hexagons for their cells? Or is it something whimsical or less science-based?

So that's why I continued talking about 3 and its multiples (as well as making this thread in the first place) and that slight speculation about 6 was pretty much just a thought.

[Z_2]

Here's another thought about the Stargate dialing system, which I think works better than my last idea (again, I'll add the spoiler features just in case it needs it):

Spoiler:

Well, in making this Stargate dialing system based on three numbers, I placed constraints that the values for the coordinates are from the cubes of consecutive positive integers. But it didn't address the possibility that someone would want to define a point like (8, 27, 64), or (27, 64, 125). So I thought of a variation of the previous post to account for it.

Now, how about three sets of glyphs, where the first set is defined as previously, the second set uses the consecutive cubes (with n=1) of (2+3(n-1))^3, (3+3(n-1))^3, and (1+3n)^3, and the third set is defined as (3+3(n-1))^3, (1+3n)^3, and (2+3n)^3. So the first set of glyphs is composed of the permutations of (1, 8, 27), the second set uses (8, 27, 64) and its rearrangements, and the third set uses the permutations of (27, 64, 125).

Then with three sets of glyphs defined, a subtotal of 18 glyphs are used so far. Since I was still trying to get the number 39 in there somehow, I figured there could be 12 "distance multiplier" (more like "distance modifier" than multiplier) glyphs which go in the 7th chevron place, so then at least the first set of glyphs can be modified up to the cube of 39. So the modifier glyphs give the 7th chevron a value of m from 1 to 12, and the first set of cubes would be changed to (1+3(n-1+m)^3 [or (1+3m)^3], (2+3m)^3, and (3+3m)^3, and the second set of glyph coordinates would be modified such that the cube values are (2+3m)^3, (3+3m)^3, and (1+3(m+1))^3, with the third set having cube values of (3+3m)^3, (1+3(m+1))^3, and (2+3(m+1))^3. But by using 12 modifiers, the third set of glyphs actually use the value of 41^3 for a distance (get back to that later).

And then eight other glyphs can be defined as the octant identifiers for the 8th chevron and the PoO glyph finishes the list.

That'll make a total of 18 coordinate glyphs, 12 distance modifiers, 8 octant identifiers, and the PoO. And it would triple the amount of possible destination gates calculated from the previous post, since there are 3 sets of cubes, with 13 sets of glyphs (using the distance modifier) for each set of cubes, and 720 permutations for each set of glyphs per octant, and 8 octants. So the number of possible destinations is now (3*13*720*8=224,640) just under 225,000.

But, wait! That isn't the neatest discovery!!!

Since 39^3 isn't the biggest distance value by using this system, I figured the sets of cubes don't need to be limited to 13 (which I aimed for in the previous post to get 39^3), and I could make 8 glyphs more useful. If, instead of 12, there are 20 distance modifier glyphs, with the first 8 doing double duty as octant identifiers, then the number of possible destination gates is now (3(sets of cubes)*21(sets of glyphs/sets of cubes)*720(permutations per octant and per set of glyphs)*8(octants)) 362,880. And??? That only adds a hundred thousand and change more gates to the previous total. So you're probably thinking, "What's so neat about that number?!?"

WELL... I started off this thread with the premise that the Ancients liked the number 3 or multiples of 3, and guess what? 362,880 is the same as the more simply written, 9! (or 9 factorial)! How cool is that?!?

So, to recap, my rambling explanation of the Stargate dialing system was based on the idea that the Ancients use 3 or multiples of 3 (or groups of 3) in their designs, and by making assumptions and defining some givens and setting up some constraints, I found another (sorta profound?) value that deals with 3. My system may not have any rhyme or reason (based on "SG world" facts) to why I defined it that way, but I think the end result makes up for it!

But one big blow to my idea is that people would start to wonder why they've only used 19 (with the PoO) out of 39 glyphs until recently, which doesn't make a lotta sense...

[aschen]

Maybe the Ancients were more left brained than right.

[greytop]

With all those numbers Z, you'll need Sheppard to figure out correctly (and fast) for you.

[Z_2]

Well, I haven't exactly plotted out any points to see if three lines actually intersect to define any destination (that would be helpful to see, though). I just devised a system to create "possible" addresses, but the actual number of gates is probably far less than what's proposed.

I did like how the numbers worked out though!

And yeah, Sheppard would probably do a great job with the calculations- that's handy that he's a pilot, a leader with pretty good judgement, has practical experience (been near a 20-kiloton nuclear explosion, iirc), happens to use the ATA gene well, AND understands math and sciences. How convenient!

[disforw]

yea i mentioned that there was alot of triangles in SGA

[danielctull]

I'm sure there's only 36 glyph's on the Stargate.

Each Cheveron has 3 glyphs between it and the next. So thats 9 lots of 3 glyphs = 27.

Plus the one that the Cheveron's sitting on so 9 lots of 1 = 9.

27+9= 36 glyphs.

So where has 39 come from? Although 36 is still a multiple of 3. And 6. And 9.

Edit: Looking at the picture on SciFi, it looks more than 36. However on my DVD boxsets, they all have 36 glyphs.

[Z_2]

I'm sure there's only 36 glyph's on the Stargate.

Each Cheveron has 3 glyphs between it and the next. So thats 9 lots of 3 glyphs = 27.

Plus the one that the Cheveron's sitting on so 9 lots of 1 = 9.

27+9= 36 glyphs.

So where has 39 come from? Although 36 is still a multiple of 3. And 6. And 9.

Edit: Looking at the picture on SciFi, it looks more than 36. However on my DVD boxsets, they all have 36 glyphs.

That is wild! The boxset art is off? Can you post a pic or point me to where I can see the glyphs?

Well, here's one source indicating the 39: MGM SG-1 FAQs

[danielctull]

Picture of Season 2 box set in UK

You can clearly see 4 glyphs per cheveron, and a total of 36 glyphs.

[Z_2]

So, that brings up a newbie question: Why are only 36 glyphs on the Stargate?

[danielctull]

So, that brings up a newbie question: Why are only 36 glyphs on the Stargate?

To all people in the UK, notice that the single DVD's have a 3D gate in the background on the cover and also show 3 or 4 cheverons resting perfectly on the glyphs thus 4 glyphs to one chevron likened to the picture on the box set.

Also not on that picture the Eye Of Ra symbol, which I am positive is not a glyph. Or is it Abydos' PoO? And if so, could that mean Abydos' gate has 36 symbols?

[Z_2]

Is putting 36 glyphs on the Stargate an artistic license thing? But, daniel, like you said, at least 36 is still a multiple of 3. I'd have to modify my Stargate dialing system idea, though.

[danielctull]

Is putting 36 glyphs on the Stargate an artistic license thing?

I was thinking that. Maybe it's because just easier to draw a gate with them being evenly spaced!

[Jarnin]

Well, the Pegasus galaxy is a spheroidal dwarf galaxy with a diameter of about 2,000 light years. The Milky Way is spiral galaxy that is about 100,000 light years in diameter. Perhaps they needed more symbols for the gate in the Milky Way because of the farther distances involved.

Since the Asgard galaxy is also a dwarf galaxy their gates should also have 36 symbols.

[nomadtw]

has it ever even been discussed that the asgard galaxy has stargates beyond the one that oneil reached from our gate on the asgard homeworld