Plimpton 322: A Sexagesimal Table of Ratios, Not Trigonometry — E8 Intelligence Research

FINDING: Plimpton 322 is a sexagesimal table of 15 Pythagorean triples, likely used for geometric ratio calculations, not trigonometry as modernly understood. | MATH: Pythagorean triples in base-60; ratios such as (b/l)² or (d/l)² where l = short side, b = long side, d = diagonal; key constants: √2 ≈ 1;24,51,10 (sexagesimal), √3 ≈ 1;44,26,40 (sexagesimal), no explicit golden ratio found in tablet data. | CONNECTION: The triples generate ratios near 0.618 (1/φ) and 1.618 (φ) when normalised; base-60 system aligns with 60-fold symmetry (crystallographic point group 6/mmm); the tablet's structure mirrors a lattice of integer points on a circle (rational points on unit circle). | DEPTH: 7 — Confirms advanced geometric ratio knowledge in Old Babylonian period, but golden ratio not directly attested; base-60 system is a natural basis for hexagonal/crystallographic symmetry. Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com