Crop circle hiding 'beautiful' maths formula appears in rape seed field

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:53 PM on 24th May 2010

An extraordinary crop circle based on the 'world's most beautiful maths theorem' has appeared in a field next to a windmill in Wiltshire.

The complex disc, which measures 300ft across, appeared to the east of Wilton Windmill near Marlborough in a blazing yellow rape seed field.

It appeared on Saturday just 25miles from another circle that popped up a fortnight ago by the Iron Age hill fort of Old Sarum.

The latest circle appears to be based on a mathematical formula. It appeared on Saturday in Wiltshire

Lucy Pringle, a renowned crop circle researcher was puzzled by what appears to be a hidden code based on complex numbers within the shape.

She said: 'I believe it contains binary, a numeral system, or base-2 number system that represents numeric values using two symbols, 0 and 1.

'Working from the centre outwards, people are suggesting it has a connection to Leonhard Euler's theorem e^(i)pi+1=0 which is thought to be one of the most beautiful theorems in mathematics.'

She added that it could even contain a hidden tune.

'Historically over the years, crop circles have been associated with diatonic scales (white notes on the piano),' she said.

'These diatonic scale frequencies are encoded in each segment of the crop circle and can be played on the piano.

'This is a unique formation incorporating both music and mathematics and is similar in importance to the famous 2008 Barbury Castle Pi event.'

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There is speculation that the circle represents Leonhard Euler's complex theorem e^(i)pi+1=0

Another crop circle expert said everyone can draw their own conclusions from the circles, adding: 'The thing about math and the circles is that you are dealing with something which isn't an exact science so one person may decode the circles as having diatonic ratios, the other may find meaning in binary numbers or astrological cycles.

'The only possible explanation which covers all areas would be humans, however this can only be a problematic relationship shared by creaters and researchers since the [UFO] researchers hate the idea that a sense of wonder and optimism is quoshed by the admittance of human involvement.'

Carved out in a barley field, the Barbury Castle crop circle was a pictorial representation of the first ten digits of Pi, one of the most fundamental symbols in mathematics. The image was an example of what is known as a fractal, or geometric pattern.

It was solved by astrophysicist Mike Reed who saw a picture of the crop circle and made the mathematical link.

Crop circle designs have developed from simple circles in the 1970s to pictorial designs in the late 1980s and binary number designers from 2001.

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