base_11_representation
In Carl Sagan’s novel Contact, the main character (Ellie Arroway) is told by an alien that certain megastructures in the universe were created by an unknown advanced intelligence that left messages embedded inside transcendental numbers. To check this, Arroway writes a program that computes the digits of π in several bases, and eventually finds that the base 11 representation of π contains a sequence of ones and zeros that, when properly aligned on a page, produce a circular pattern.
Submission Notes
- 2026 04 13 Patterns in pi in Contact
- In Contact, Ellie Arroway examines the base 11 representation of π for patterns.
- The sequence of ones and zeros in base 11 is thought to be a message or pattern from an advanced intelligence.
- Related concepts: pi, transcendental_numbers, aliens_in_fiction
- New entry: Patterns in pi in “Contact”
- Backlink: 2026 04 13 Patterns in pi in Contact