Dictionary Definition
pattern
Noun
1 a perceptual structure; "the composition
presents problems for students of musical form"; "a visual pattern
must include not only objects but the spaces between them" [syn:
form, shape]
2 a customary way of operation or behavior; "it
is their practice to give annual raises"; "they changed their
dietary pattern" [syn: practice]
4 something regarded as a normative example; "the
convention of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule
not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors" [syn:
convention, normal, rule, formula]
5 a model considered worthy of imitation; "the
American constitution has provided a pattern for many
republics"
6 something intended as a guide for making
something else; "a blueprint for a house"; "a pattern for a skirt"
[syn: blueprint,
design]
7 the path that is prescribed for an airplane
that is preparing to land at an airport; "the traffic patterns
around O'Hare are very crowded"; "they stayed in the pattern until
the fog lifted" [syn: traffic
pattern, approach
pattern]
8 graphical representation (in polar or cartesian
coordinates) of the spatial distribution of radiation from an
antenna as a function of angle [syn: radiation
pattern, radiation
diagram]
Verb
1 plan or create according to a model or models
[syn: model]
2 form a pattern; "These sentences pattern like
the ones we studied before"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
Middle English patron, from Old French patron, from Latin patronus "patron", derived from pater "father". For the semantic shift, a patron is to be thought of as a model citizen, i.e., to be imitated.Extensive Definition
A pattern, from the French
patron, is a theme of reoccurring events or objects, sometimes
referred to as elements of a set. These elements repeat in a
predictable manner. It can be a template or model which can be used
to generate things or parts of a thing, especially if the things
that are created have enough in common for the underlying pattern
to be inferred, in which case the things are said to exhibit the
unique pattern. Pattern
matching is the act of checking for the presence of the
constituents of a pattern, whereas the detecting for underlying
patterns is referred to as pattern
recognition. The question of how a pattern emerges is
accomplished through the work of the scientific field of pattern
formation. Patterns are also related to repeated shapes or
objects, sometimes referred to as elements of the series. Some
patterns (for example, many visual patterns) may be directly
observable, such as simple decorative patterns (stripes, zigzags,
and polka-dots). Others can be more complicated, such as the
regular tiling of a plane, echos, and balanced binary
branching.
The most basic patterns are
based on repetition and periodicity. A single template, or cell, is
combined with duplicates without change or modification. For
example, in aviation, a "holding pattern" is a flight path which
can be repeated until the aircraft has been granted clearance for
landing.
Pattern recognition is more
complex when templates are used to generate variants. For example,
in English, sentences often follow the "N-VP" (noun - verb phrase)
pattern, but some knowledge of the English language is required to
detect the pattern. Computer science, ethology, and psychology are
fields which study patterns.
In addition to static
patterns, Simple Harmonic Oscillators produce repeated patterns of
movement.
Computer Science
Theory of Computation attempts to grasp the patterns that appear within the logic of computer science. Since efficiency is extremely important when executing a command, minimizing a pattern into its most basic form becomes evermore necessary.Golden Ratio
The irrational number
(approximatey 1.618) is found frequently in nature. It is referred
to as the golden ratio, and is defined by two numbers, that form a
ratio such that (a+b)/a = a/b (a/b being the golden ratio). It has
a direct relationship to the Fibonacci numbers. This pattern was
exploited by Leonardo
da Vinci in his art. The Fibonacci pattern has a closed-form
expression. These patterns can be seen in nature, from the spirals
of flowers to the symmetry of the human body (as expressed in Da
Vinci's Vitruvian
Man, one of the most referenced and reproduced works of art
today. This is still used by many artist.
Art
- Impressionism: Pointillism
- Performance Art: Crop circles
- Music: Minimalism
Science and mathematics
Fractals are mathematical
patterns that are scale invariant. This means that the shape of the
pattern does not depend on how closely you look at it.
Self-similarity is found in fractals. Even though self-similarity
in nature is only approximate and stochastic, integral measures
describing fractal properties can also be applied to natural
"fractals". Examples of such are coast lines and tree shapes, which
repeat their shape reguardless of what magnification you view at.
While the outer appearance of self-similar patterns can be quite
complex, the rules needed to describe or produce their formation
can be extremely simple (e.g. Lindenmayer
systems for the description of tree shapes).
Patterns are common in many
areas of mathematics. Recurring
decimals are one example. These are repeating sequences of
digits which repeat infinitely. For example, 1 divided by 81 will
result in the answer 0.012345679... the numbers 0-9 (except 8) will
repeat forever — 1/81 is a recurring
decimal.
In geology, a mineral's
crystal structure is composed of a recurring pattern. In fact, this
is one of the 5 requirements of a mineral. Minerals must have a
fixed chemical coposition in a repeating arrangement, such as a
crystal matrix. For a 2-dimensional crystal structure, there are 10
different planar lattices possible. Moving up to 3 dimensions, 32
patterns are possible. These are called bravais
lattices.
Geometry
The recurring pattern of regular polygons is called a tessellation. Out of all posible combinations, there are only three posible regular polygons that can complete a repeating pattern. These polygons are squares, triangles, and hexagons. The hexagon is the most stable version for engineering purposes. Any shear stress upon segments of the hexagon series is distibuted over the six points.Patterns in Pedagogics
Quotation
- "A pattern has an integrity independent of the medium by virtue of which you have received the information that it exists. Each of the chemical elements is a pattern integrity. Each individual is a pattern integrity. The pattern integrity of the human individual is evolutionary and not static."
- "Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern."
Mathematics is
commonly described as the "Science of Pattern."
See also
External links
pattern in German: Muster
(Struktur)
pattern in Persian:
الگو
pattern in Irish:
Patrún
pattern in Dutch: Patroon
(vorm)
pattern in Japanese:
パターン
pattern in Portuguese:
Padrão
pattern in Simple English:
Pattern
pattern in Serbo-Croatian:
Uzor
pattern in Vietnamese: Mẫu
(dạng thức)
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Geistesgeschichte,
Hegelian idea, Kantian idea, Platonic form, Platonic idea, action, actions, activity, acts, address, aesthetic form,
affectation,
air, anatomy, antetype, antitype, archetype, architectonics, architecture, arrangement, art form,
automatism, background, background
detail, bad habit, barometer, bearing, beau ideal, behavior, behavior pattern,
behavioral norm, behavioral science, biotype, blueprint, brouillon, build, building, canon, canon form, carriage, cartoon, cast, characteristic, chart, check, classic example, complex
idea, comportment,
composition,
conduct, configuration, conformation, consistency, constellation, constitution, construction, copy, creation, creature of habit,
criterion, culture
pattern, custom, cut, cycle, decorate, decoration, decorative
composition, decorative style, degree, delineation, demeanor, deportment, design, detail, device, diagram, doing, doings, draft, drawing, duplicate, ebauche, elevation, emulate, epitome, esquisse, eternal object,
eternal universal, example, exemplar, fabric, fabrication, fashion, fashioning, figuration, figure, figure-ground, foil, folkway, follow, force of habit,
foreground detail, forging, form, formal cause, format, formation, frame, fugleman, fugler, fugue form, gauge, genotype, genre, gestalt, gestures, getup, goings-on, good example,
graduated scale, graph,
ground plan, guide,
guise, habit, habit pattern, habitude, highest category,
history of ideas, house plan, ichnography, ideal, idealism, ideate, ideatum, idee-force, imitate, imitatee, impression, innate idea,
inner form, innovation, instance, layout, lead, lied form, maintien, make, makeup, making, man of men, manner, manners, manufacture, matrix, measure, method, methodology, methods, mien, mimic, mirror, modality, mode, model, modus vivendi, mold, molding, motif, motions, motive, mould, movements, moves, national style, new
departure, nonpareil,
noosphere, norm, noumenon, observable behavior,
order, orderliness, organic
structure, organism,
organization,
original, ornament, ornamental motif,
outline, paradigm, paragon, parameter, patterning, peculiarity, percept, period style, physique, pilot model, plan, plot, poise, port, pose, posture, practice, praxis, precedent, presence, primary form,
procedure, proceeding, production, profile, projection, prototype, quantity, reading, readout, regularity, regulative first
principle, repeated figure, repetition, representation, representative, rondo
form, rough, rule, sample, scale, second nature, sequence, set, setting, setup, shape, shaping, shining example,
significant form, simple idea, simulate, skeleton, sketch, social science, sonata
allegro, sonata form, specimen, stamp, standard, stencil, stereotype, stereotyped
behavior, structure,
structuring,
style, subsistent form,
symphonic form, system,
table, tactics, tectonics, template, test, texture, the Absolute, the
Absolute Idea, the Self-determined, the realized ideal, theme, tissue, toccata form, tone, touch, touchstone, transcendent
idea, transcendent nonempirical concept, transcendent universal,
trick, turn, type, type species, type specimen,
universal, universal
concept, universal essence, urtext, usage, use, value, warp and woof, way, way of life, ways, weave, web, wont, working drawing, yardstick