| Appendix A: Prime Numbers
There are few mathematical concepts as mystifying as the set of prime numbers. Any number which is not divisible by any number other than one and itself is a prime. A partial list of consecutive prime numbers is given below: 1 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 47 53 59 61 67 71 73 79 ... The amazing thing about this set of numbers, which goes on forever, is that no one has yet been able to find a formula which predicts every Nth prime. There is simply no logical pattern in the sequence of primes. The prime numbers have a special physical significance. One way to see this is to consider the effect of using a prime number of vertices in making a Mandala thread design. Only when the number of vertices in your design is prime will you connect every point in the design before returning to your starting point. Look at what would happen in a circular design of 10 points. 10 =
2 X 5 and therefore is not a prime number. As you can see, the layer shown
must be done with two strands. Because 10 is not a prime number, the layer
which starts at 1 must be tied off after connecting 5 points. To complete
this layer, another starting point must be chosen, and the rest of the
points connected. This is indicated by the blue lines. Only when a prime
number of generating points are used can every layer be defined with one
continuous strand of thread. This is due to the quality which distinguished
the prime as a unique set of numbers; namely their indivisibility.
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