Huh?   A Model of Space, Infinity and Flow

Working Draft  Copyright (c) 2005 - 2007 Jim Imboden

Chapter 14  Why HUH

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...'

Isaac Asimov

During the early development and exploration of this model I referred to it as the Agnesi Model and during that time I thought if it did develop into something the name would be the Agnesi Model.  Chapter 13 “The History of the Agnesi Curve” explains who Maria Agnesi was, her contribution, and her respect for Guido Grande by naming the curve as he named it ‘la versiera' or the rope that turns the sail.

The model I’ve described in this work is several steps beyond the Agnesi/Grande curve and is presented as a functional model that may or may not have value.  Any failure in its ability to function and predict has nothing to with the original Agnesi/Grande curve.

I decided to give the model a name that would capture “bewilderment”. The same type of mental confusion a person would go through when first watching the behavior of the curve being developed, going from plus infinity to minus infinity during the slightest turn of a dial.  One word was “Huh”.  I decided to check the web to make sure I wouldn’t be infringing on some other work

When I checked Huh on the internet to see if I was infringing on someone else’s work I discovered in Egyptian Mythology “Huh” was a god.

Huh (or Heh) was the God of Space and Infinity.  Actually according to Egyptian Mythology there were four pairs of Gods that made up the Ogdoad, 8 gods four male and four female.  The pairs were:

            Huh and Hauhet the Gods of space and infinity

            Kuk and Kauket the Gods of darkness

            Nun and Naunet the Gods of primordial waters

            Amun and Amunet the Gods of hidden powers

These eight Gods combined and built a small island in the middle of Chaos.

A Cosmic Egg was placed on this island and the Sun God Atum hatched out.

One last thing is a chart I did in Excel of the model's formula "y=a^3/(a^2+x^2)" extended in time in two dimensions and it looks like this:

Based on all of the above I think Huh is the right name.

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