Notebook 6 · Patterns: the spiral and cellular automata
Steps: draw a spiral by hand
Draw a spiral by hand
You need squared paper and a pencil. This is how Gardner describes the doodle.
Step 1
Put 1 in the centre
Choose a square near the middle of the page and write 1 in it.
Step 2
Write 2 next to it
Move one square to the right and write 2.
Step 3
Turn counterclockwise and keep going
Write 3, 4, 5, … winding outwards. Gardner's account turns counterclockwise.
Step 4
Circle the primes
Circle 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 and every other prime you reach.
Step 5
Look for diagonals
Do the circles line up? Compare your page with the interactive above.