# three (cardinal)

a set that has two parts and also one more part

- Computed level: L4 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: common  ·  Arena: three

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [sets](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-sets.grouped), [part](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-part.relation)

**Through:** The set groups parts together, and adding one part to a pair creates a larger set.

**Novel properties:**
- exact cardinal count
- minimal addition beyond pair

## Examples
- A tripod stands stable on uneven ground because its three legs form a single rigid base. *(engineering)*
- The 2020 U.S. Census counted exactly 52 House seats allocated to states with populations between three and four million. *(economics)*
- In the 2017 French legislative election, three political parties won over 10% of the vote. *(institutions)*

## Used by
- [four](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-four.cardinal) (L12)
- [six](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-six.cardinal) (L12)
- [thirty](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-thirty.numeral) (L12)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-three.cardinal*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-three.cardinal.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*