HN user

happyglucky

12 karma
Posts0
Comments4
View on HN
No posts found.

"there's no connection between spirals and prime numbers"

You just shot yourself in the foot :( Yes, there is a connection. If you add up the total distance each line makes in a tick, its equivalent to the harmonic series, which is a special case of the zeta function. This is where the spiral comes from. Its a dirct consequence of the fact that each number has period 1/n. The spiral emerges naturally, its not programmed or forced into that shape.

A number of very elementary things. It gives a very intuitive visualization of twin primes, as they lie before and after highly composite numbers (which are also easily visualized), as well as a visual explanation for why the prime gaps tend to increase, as larger numbers are likely to collide with a factor. You can also use it to explain prime factors, least common multiples up to N (when the first N lines come into alignment), and the cyclical nature of factors in general. This is a creative pedagogical tool, not a breakthrough in number theory.