From chaos to order
No. 184, 1976
(Probability theory)
India ink and pencil on paper, 31.5 x 44 cm.
An individual sits alone on a plane, observing the horizon and contemplating a great crystalline structure mushrooming out of the earth in the distance. Spread out on the ground are millions of pins. Indeed, in probability theory, we often find that, where large numbers of events are concerned, apparent chaos settles into an appreciable order. In geometry, a problem in probability can involve, for example, the distribution of needles falling randomly on a plane. This image does not illustrate a particular theorem but instead expresses graphically a philosophical idea—a long and careful study of chaos can lead us to discover a hidden regularity. To a certain extent, the giant crystal on the horizon embodies an ideal principle, an aspiration that provides a motivating force for much of science.
