Now i want (to build) a drag and drop toy where i can multiply or summarize numbers that are represented in this way. To see how factors move (like boids).
Is this visualization algorithm called something? The explanation link from a previous HN post seems to be broken: http://mathlesstraveled.com/2012/10/05/factorization-diagram...
Is there some non-regular polygon that would be more distinctly recognizable to use for 7, 11, etc?
7 = 2*3+1
11 = (2*2+1)*2+1
etc...
Filled polygons would offer some more shapes. Filled hexagon = 7, etc etc...
You could probably use the binary expansion to group the dots? So, 1 is • 2 is •• 3 is _• •_•
5 is
_• •_• •_•
7 is ____• _•_____• •_•___•_•
11 is ____• _•_____• •_•___•_• •_•___•_•
And so on.
(So, 2n is represented as n next to n, unless n is 2 in which case it is n above n, and 2n+1 is 1 above 2n )
Alternatively, using stars instead of n-gons could also be clearer?
Edit: I looked more at the animation some more and maybe I am wrong. Anyway I may try to make one.
I wrote an answer there that produced these diagrams from fairly few lines of code.
The question there referred to same now-broken link mentioned above so the origin still unknown.
E.g. 24 -> 2 * 3 * 4 = Two groups of (three groups of (four items))
Also try this for the archived version of that explanation -> https://web.archive.org/web/20130206023100/http://mathlesstr...