Circles & Zeros

Last Night I was watching "Agora", a film based on rise of Christianity or Jew-Christian clash during the Roman Egyptian day. The central character of the film is "Hypatia" (played by Rachel Weisz), Philosopher & and Mathematician, based in Alexandria. Throughout the film Hypatia is trying to find the truth regarding earth's orbit and motion amidst the political and social adversities. Hypatia was in search of the shape which exactly defines earth's path. 

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A strange thought came to my mind - it is about circles. A circle has neither beginning nor an end. You can start anywhere and tracing the geometry one will end at the same place. Lot of things crossed my mind or still crossing while I am writing - none of them have distinct relations, equations or any physical significance - they are just discrete thoughts. But it just happened that it crossed my mind and somewhere a pattern seems to be there. The great solar system is circular/elliptical or such similar pattern. Everyone is moving in some definite shape around someone else in addition to a revolution around oneself. So, in a way everything in the universe is in some sort of circular motion. And when one motion matches the other something happens-we have a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse, full moon, new moon, etc. and we may call that timing. There is definitely something, some greater urge which is in its will or intent trying to keep things in definite shape and size, fighting against the odds to succeed in the objective.

Looking into our life, society, day to day dealings, in some way or the other we are in search of that definite shape. The different religions or philosophies have spoken of life or life cycle. We start from some point which is beyond our control (i.e. we don't know when and where we are getting fitted into the circle) and end at a point we cannot predict. The Hindu philosophy speaks of 4 stages of human life; quite similar to the 4 quadrants of a circle or the 24-hour clock time system (where we can make 4 quadrants). Aim of all is to reach the starting point. In a race the athlete in most cases has to end up from where the race began to complete. Our life runs in a circle. Looking at micro-levels right from going to school to making a family and then again to stabilizing the family, everywhere we are moving in circles perhaps without realizing this. A person at work tries to complete his circle of home-office-home day in day out. At office the same person works round the year to get his year end benefits, rewards, incentive. On achieving the same he completes his target/circle and again starts with new aspirations for the new year. Shall we say we are working for fulfillment of circle or a zero? We hate "ZERO", then how can we be working for a zero. We hate zero in a report card (read mark sheet), we hate zero in our performance ratings but we love zeroes in the salary cheques and to increase the number of zeroes in the bank account we try to motivate to make a never ending loop or a circle or a zero. Some say in our quest for zeroes we end up with lots of zeroes but become a zero.

Set theory and Venn Diagram is another example of our fondness of circles. Why did not someone think of squares to form the Venn Diagrams and their intersections? The concept of intersection of 2 sets basically points out to the area of common interests and conflicts (like the eclipses) while the concept of union of 2 sets symbolizes the fact of a greater accomplishment through the coming of 2 different identities (like the beginning of life). Mathematicians/Scientists have tried over the years to explain the laws of nature in different ways. Probability has tried to explain the chance factor of life. The motions of solar bodies, their mutual positions have been explained by Gravitational Forces. The thing which is perhaps not been analyzed is this interesting pattern of circle completions.

A common belief exists that somehow satisfying the circle is the motto of life i.e. if you can complete the circle from start to end (if necessary forcefully) by recreating and completing your social duties. The fact is that if we were able to understand this unique circle we would not have tried to complete it; it’s a definite natural process, forcing the issues make things harder.

The earth moves round the sun in an elliptical orbit, sometimes moving close sometimes far but never merges with the Sun, as then it will be all over for us - will that be the completion of some other circle unknown to us - only time will tell. Time moves forward in the form of a circle (the year phenomenon) while revolving around itself (the day phenomenon). What can be the radius of the Time Circle - perhaps beyond our wildest imaginations? Talking of earth's motion round the sun - does it mean that in search of the Ultimate Truth we might meet our end as the Earth will if it meets the Sun. As the mother planet is okay revolving about the Sun, rather than merging, does this signify that we will be fine in our limitations/failures and shall falter trying to push hard for something (may be the Truth itself), the same as what happened to Hypatia. So, I end up from where I began no solutions, no conclusions only doubts and assumptions. Time up!!!