fingerprint database!

We also used ink to create a "fingerprint database", which is pretty cool, actually. The patterns on our fingerprints are very clear. These patterns comprise of 3 main types: arches, whorls and loops. Composite patterns are a mixture of the 3 common patterns.

Here is my fingerprint database! (Click to enlarge!) What I realised was that 9 of my fingers have a loop pattern, while only my left middle finger has a arched pattern. Interestingly, the database arranged the fingerprints such that they corresponded to the 'opposite' finger on the other hand. (ie. the right thumb is above the left little, so on) This made me realise that my fingerprints on the same finger on the different hands were 'opposite'. (ie. the right thumb had a loop entering from the right, the left thumb had a loop entering from the left) I find this quite cool, although I don't know the reason behind it and there probably isn't one.

According to the US database,

• 60-65% are classified as loops
• 30–35% are classified as whorls
• 5% are classified as arches

The data gathered from my class, 210, is presented into a graph below. 

	210	2	arches
	210	1	loops
	210	4	loops
	210	5	loops
	210	6	loops
	210	6	loops
	210	7	loops
	210	8	loops
	210	9	loops
	210	10	loops
	210	13	loops
	210	15	loops
	210	16	loops
	210	19	loops
	210	25	loops
	210	25	loops
	210	26	loops
	210	29	loops
	210	30	loops
	210	3	whorls
	210	10	whorls
	210	11	whorls
	210	12	whorls
	210	17	whorls
	210	18	whorls
	210	20	whorls
	210	21	whorls
	210	23	whorls
	210	24	whorls
	210	27	whorls
	210	28	whorls
	210	31	whorls
	210	32	whorls

The graph shows that the data we collected is rather similar to the US data. Our pool of data, while not that large, is already able to show the distribution of fingerprint patterns.