alchemical theory

Stuff I worked out talking to stariceling and niqaeli:

I previously posted on even-pointed, bound arrays versus odd-pointed, unbound arrays, and that's going to inform all the following theory on alchemy.

I'm going to go ahead and post the spoilery list of odd-pointed arrays that that entry eschews.

( arrays )

My current theory of the development of alchemy is that ( series end spoilers )

Questions:

What happens if you put an array inside an array? (And when can you tell if you have, because the larger arrays have multiple circles.)

Does size matter? Current theory on this is that the only effect a larger array has is that you have more room to draw detail into, so larger and more detailed arrays are for more complex or precise transmutations.

On the flip side of the detail/precision with which the array is drawn--we often see alchemists hand-draw arrays in high-stress situations, which means they're not regular, perfectly circular, etc. I think the more perfectly the array is drawn, the more exact the transmutation will be. But, say, in an instance like ( end of series Roy )

Back to the size thing--we wonder if Ed could get more power out of his hand-clap alchemy if he had longer arms. Heh.

I think arrays are amps for a process which is mostly mental, because when I take apart something like how Roy controls flame, there's parts that I just can't see how the hell he controls with an array that is always the same. He has to be doing it in his head. Flame control breaks down to: size and heat of flame, duration of flame, and shape of flame. I can see that he could control size and heat by how much power he poured into the array, and he could control duration by cutting off the power he put into the transmutation, but how can he get different shapes of flame, directions and arcs that go just so far and no further to scare people? That information isn't written into his glove, because it's different every time. That's something he controls mentally. Likewise, Al has a six-pointed array that he uses for just about everything--it's non-specific, it's just to boost his power levels to the point he can do stuff with them. But what he actually does with the power, whether it's to make a toy pony or reconstruct a radio, is something he controls mentally.

So, in short: alchemy is mostly in the head. The array acts as an amp to get power levels to the point where you can do stuff, and, if you're doing a complex transmutation, you write the details of what you're doing into the array so you don't have to concentrate on them quite so hard.

I always disliked Scar's claim that Ed was creating a circle with his arms, because it's so not. A circuit maybe, but not a circle. My latest idea is that he's creating a shape that you would inscribe inside the circle--a square or a pentagon.

But what happens if you don't put a regular geometric shape with some finite number of points into the circle of an array? Isn't a circle techically a regular geometic shape with an infinite number of points?

Common media we see for drawing arrays: chalk (because it's easily erasable?), tattoos and embroidery for arrays commonly used by the alchemist in question, scratching the array into a softer surface. We see blood alchemy in a couple of places in the series. Ed says Al's array is in blood to bind to iron, and I think using blood arrays on skin has some effect, but other than that I don't think blood boosts the power of an array. Like, the only reason to use blood to draw an array on a wall or something would be because it's the only thing you have on hand to draw with.

Can Ed draw an array with alchemy? He modifies the array on the floor of lab 5, and then copies it to the ceiling... hm.