Niven Number Discussion
Posting this in hopes it helps. I want us to group think on this and have a discussion. In the Paternal Ploy "Niven" is mentioned. Assuming this is referring to the mathematician Ivan Niven, this gives some interesting data. I had AI count the letter, word and sentence counts for each chapter of the book to see which chapters hit. The data is posted in the photo above.
I am admittedly not a math person and had to look Niven numbers up, here is the definition:
"A Niven number (also called a Harshad number) is a positive integer that is evenly divisible by the sum of its own digits."
Chapter 24 "The Aft Assault" contains 3 Niven number counts in ALL (the letters, words, and sentences.)
Also Chapter number breakdown is:
24
Add its digits:
2 + 4 = 6
Divide the original number by the digit sum:
24 ÷ 6 = 4
Because 4 is a whole number, 24 is a Niven number.
Here's where it gets interesting: Sentence 4 in the Aft Assault gives us a location: Grasshopper Valley. Sentence 6 gives us the word anchor, followed by Polaris in sentence 7.
Chapter 42 "The Grizzly Gathering" also has a hit in the word count.
42
Digit sum:
4 + 2 = 6
Divide:
42 ÷ 6 = 7
Because 7 is a whole integer, 42 is a Niven number.
Sentence 6 & 7 in the Grizzly Gathering also gives locations: the North Fork of the Blackfoot River near Ovando. "There the river cleaves the wilderness between Bob Marshall and the Blackfoot Valley."
So you see where I am going with this analysis.
Does anybody have any ideas how this might apply to decoding the poem?
What's stumping me is the following description in the Paternal Ploy that is such a random, but precise illustrative detail that it just seems "uncanny." Posey writes: "He greeted us with a nod, his weathered hands absentmindedly fiddling with a set of what must have been 18 to 20 keys on an old brass ring."
Why 18-20? Does this have anything to do with the map and how we should analyze it? Perhaps with Polaris as the anchor? Could he be telling us to look at Polaris as the centre anchor with 18-20 key points around? Like snells window refraction riddle mentioned in The Aft Assault ?
How can we push further and group think this? Do you think the Niven numbers are giving us coordinate hints? Let's see what we can come up with and have a thorough discussion on Niven numbers.
Update (further definition on Snell’s window):
The Normal: Scientists measure angles using an imaginary straight line called the normal, which sits at a 90-degree angle to the surface of the material.
Snell's Law: The math behind this change is known as Snell's Law, which compares the angles and speeds (refractive indices) of the two materials.