From owner-biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Sat Oct 7 18:35:11 2000 Return-Path: Received: by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 110) id 641E117B12; Sat, 7 Oct 2000 18:35:10 +0100 (BST) Received: by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 6024) id 28D6517B0D; Sat, 7 Oct 2000 18:35:08 +0100 (BST) Received: from niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (niobium [193.62.192.41]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3DF9E415DE for ; Sat, 7 Oct 2000 18:35:08 +0100 (BST) Received: (from news@localhost) by niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (8.9.3+Sun/8.8.8) id SAA04840 for biophys-list@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk; Sat, 7 Oct 2000 18:35:07 +0100 (BST) X-Authentication-Warning: niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk: news set sender to using -f Reply-To: "Sally Porter" From: "Sally Porter" X-Newsgroups: bionet.biophysics Subject: math question about seashell Lines: 22 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Message-ID: Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000 17:25:43 GMT X-Complaints-To: abuse@rr.com X-Trace: typhoon.columbus.rr.com 970939543 24.95.59.249 (Sat, 07 Oct 2000 13:25:43 EDT) Organization: Road Runner Columbus To: biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Sender: owner-biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Precedence: bulk I am a painter who is interested in the mathematical identities found in nature, such as the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio, the logarithmic spiral, pi, e, etcetera. In general, I am interested in how the patterns and forms of nature are related to a hidden mathematical order and, more specifically, the formulas containing these mathematical identities describing specific relationships. If you can recommend any sites or newsgroups on this subject, I would appreciate it. My current question is about the ruffled clam shell. Can anyone give me a formula which describes the form of this shell? I assume it would contain some sort of fractal because the shape is fractal. I am not sure which newsgroup has the expertise to answer my question. Should I ask the mathematicians this question? Thank you for any guidance or expertise you can lend. Please remember that I am a layperson and I would appreciate information related in non-technical jargon. Sally Porter Original Paintings http://home.columbus.rr.com/sallyporter .