Postcard from Bishkek

The Silk Road Lodge 1s 12 years old today. That is, we opened our doors to the public on 7th August, 2000.

We’ll have a cake in the office, as usual, to commemorate the occasion … but as it is not exactly a kroogliy data - a round figure – I don’t think we’ll be doing anything else special to mark the anniversary.

As it happens, however, the twelfth anniversary is a Silk Anniversary – which, I suppose, is quite appropriate for the Silk Road Lodge.

For the record: Here’s a list of traditional anniversaries:

 The number 12, of course is a very special number, encrusted with mysticism and symbolism in almost every culture and apart from being a sublime number, it is also associated with : …

• the concept of a dozen;
• a jury which comprises “twelve good men and true”;
• there are twelve months of the year;
• the twelve tribes of Israel;
• the twelve disciples of Jesus; and
• the twelve Imams in Islam;
• the twelve Olympian Gods of Greek Mythology; and
• the twelve labours of Hercules;
• in Nordic mythology there were the twelve sons of Odin;
• the twelve signs of the zodiac, not forgetting
• the twelve days of Christmas;
• there are twelve stars on the flag of the European Union;
• King Arthur is supposed to have had twelve knights of the Round Table;
• there were twelve pence in a shilling; and
• twelve inches in a foot;
• there have been several songs, albums, novels and films called Twelve

… and so on.

My favourite association with the number 12, however, if the fact that it is a “sublime number“.

I often wonder who thinks up the various special designations for days of the calendar like International Beer Day, (which was last Sunday), or Fresh Breath Day, (yesterday), but I can see some value in them as far as Greeting Card Manufacturers are concerned, (hence they are often called Hallmark Days – after the Hallmark company).

When it comes to number theory, however, some of the designations seem to be so esoteric that they defy any practical use … or justification … other than the fact that they exist to define some obscure characteristic or quality.  Sublime numbers, for example, are numbers with an “perfect number” of factors, which add up to another perfect number.

For the record: a perfect number is defined as having factors which, (apart from itself),  add up to that number … for example 6, which has factors 1, 2, 3 and 6 … (1 x 6 = 6 and 2 x 3 = 6) … and 1+2+3 = 6.   There aren’t that many perfect numbers, the next one is 28, (Factors, 1, 2, 4, 7 14 and 28).  After that comes 496 and 8128 …  Those four were known to the ancient Greeks, but it took until the sixteenth for the next three to be discovered.  We still don’t know if there any perfect numbers that are odd … but any mathematician who finds one is likely to have his name made … even if they don’t make a fortune.

The number 12 is a sublime number because it has 6 factors, (1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 – 6 being a perfect number), which add up to 28, (which is the second perfect number).

For the record, the other one is:
6086555670238378989670371734243169622657830773351885970528324860512791691264
which has 76 digits.

I am sure that there are some mathematicians out there who will be able to tell me the reasons why “sublime numbers” are so special … but I have to admit to a feeling, a temptation, to think it is a case of “from the sublime to the ridiculous”.

 

 

 

 

Tags: Calendar, Celestial_Mountains, For_the_Record, Mathematics, Trivia