Clock Equation for a Positive Progression Cycle

April 29, 2010

James H. Eshuis 516 Ontario Street St. Catharines, Ontario L2N 4N3 jeshuis@vaxxine.com

I present an equation for the calculation of position when moving forward or backward in a positive arithmetic progression cycle. I define the equation and give four examples. I apply the equation to the calculation of position in a positive geometric progression cycle and give two examples. For computer programmers, I write the equation in C++.

Clock Equation
For a positive arithmetic progression cycle with move number of terms, and starting at term , we can

number of terms forward or backward through the progression cycle,

and determine our ending term

using the equation

The equation variables defined: : The ending term : The starting term 1

: The number of terms moved to the left (negative), or to the right (positive) : The common difference : The number of terms in the progression : The first term in the progression As the equation is a quantitative measure of movement in a positive arithmetic progression cycle, it is a clock equation.

Examples of the Clock Equation

The best known positive arithmetic progression cycles are those of the clock and calendar. There are the hours, minutes, and seconds of the clock, and the months, weeks, and days of the calendar. The following four examples of the clock equation are of such progressions. Example 1: For the progression cycle of the 12 months of the year,

, the clock equation is

If If

and and

then then

Example 2: For the progression cycle of the 7 days of the week,

the clock equation is

If If Example 3:

and and

then then

For a progression cycle of every third month,

the clock equation is

If If

and and

then then

Example 4: For the progression cycle of the 24 hour astronomical clock,

the clock equation is

If If

and and

then then

The Clock Equation and Positive Geometric Progression Cycles

For a positive geometric progression cycle with number of terms,

starting at term

, we can move

number of terms forward or backward through the progression using the equation

cycle and determine the ending term

The equation variables defined: : The ending term

: The starting term : The number of terms moved to the left (negative), or to the right (positive) : The common ratio : The number of terms in the progression : The first term in the progression As the equation is a quantitative measure of movement in a positive geometric progression cycle, it is a geometric clock equation.

Examples of the Geometric Clock Equation

Example 1: For the following geometric progression cycle,

, the geometric clock equation is

If If

and and

then then

Example 2: For the following geometric progression cycle,

, the geometric clock equation is

If If

and and

then then

48

The Clock Equation in C++

The clock equation written in C++ is

: The modulo (mod), the remainder of integer division ; // variables of integer type

Geometric Clock Equation in C++

The geometric clock equation written in C++ is

-As the

function requires a floating point type, the

function must be calculated first and

converted to integer type.

: Returns base, raised to the power exponent : The modulo (mod), the remainder of integer division ; // variables of double floating point type ; // variables of integer type