The widespread application of three is not a coincidence, it might be the pulse of everything.

Also Read

News Now
Paper
Specials
- Sensex zooms to day’s high, up 600pts
- UPA will provide a ’stable’ alliance to US in South Asia: CCGA
- Indian Bank March net up 63% at Rs 394 cr
- Gail questions rejection of bid for CNG retailing in Mathura
- Britannia seeks to grow in bakery post-Daily Bread buyout
- BHEL can take up NTPC project if Russian firm is out
More
Three is often the largest number written with as many lines as the number represents. To this day it is written as three vertical lines in Roman and Chinese numerals. This was the way the Indians wrote it, and as did the Guptas, the Nagaris and the Western Ghubar Arabs before we created our modern 3.

The triad
The triad (3) comes after one (1) and two (2). Its geometric expression is an equilateral triangle. In comparison with the circle, which encloses the greatest area within the smallest perimeter, the triangle encloses the smallest area within the greatest parameter. Three is unique. It’s the only number that equals the sum of all terms below it (3=2+1) and the only number whose sum with those below equals their product (1+2+3=1*2*3).

The triangle is the only polygon structure that is stable. Triad symbolizes efficiency, balance and symmetry. A triangle is a perfect figure which if all endpoints have hinges will never change its shape unless the sides themselves are bent. Study of Pascal’s triangle and Sierpinski’s gasket helps us appreciate the triangular symmetry.

Quantity, structure, space
Mathematics is replete with numerous three systems like the triad. The study of vectors combines three of the fundamental areas of mathematics viz. quantity, structure, and space. Every odd integer greater than 5 can be written as a sum of three primes. There could be three ways to represent an equation >,