The Pattern of Tiny Feet: The Mathematics of Animal Movement

Nature is nothing if not rhythmic, and its rhythms are many and varied. Many of nature’s rhythms are like the heartbeat: they take care of themselves, running ‘in background. Others are like breathing: there is a simple ‘default’ pattern that operates as long as nothing unusual is happening, but there is also a more sophisticated control mechanism that can kick in when necessary and adapt those rhythms to immediate needs. Controllable rhythms of this kind are particularly common – and particularly interesting – in locomotion. And behind it all, inevitably, is mathematics…