For those who want to get to get their juggling scientifically checked out:
“It seems that before the early 1980s there was no clear, concise and unambiguous way to describe a Juggling Pattern. At about that time there arose in several places independently and simultaneously a method known as the Site Swap notation. This didn’t try to describe every possible Juggling Pattern, but concentrated instead on a limited family. It has proven to be astonishingly successful and is now an indispensible tools for recording existing and inventing new juggling tricks.
“The original notation has now been extended and enhanced in various ways, most particularly to deal with Multiplex Patterns, Synchronous Patterns and patterns involving Arm Movement. However, the original Site Swap notation continues to be a useful foundation.”
Back in the 1980’s there was a system known as ladder notation, but it was very limited & siteswap enabled more complex patterns to be recorded eg multiplexing (& software programs to be written to simulate juggling patterns eg http://jugglinglab.sourceforge.net/). There are also some more recent notation systems eg Beatmap see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juggling_Notation
However, as a juggler I’ve never used them preferring the art to the science – no notation form can put across the feel – when a throw (or catch) goes just right.
Thanks Rod..