General Terms:
* Natural law: This refers to a scientific description of a pattern in nature that is always observed to hold true, like the law of gravity.
* Principle: This is a broad statement that explains a fundamental aspect of nature, often serving as a foundation for more specific rules.
* Pattern: This simply describes the recurring or regular arrangement of elements in nature.
More Specific Terms:
* Mathematical model: This uses mathematical equations to describe and predict natural phenomena.
* Algorithm: This is a set of instructions that describes a process in nature, often used in computer science.
* Rule: This is a specific statement that governs a particular pattern or behavior in nature.
* Principle of self-similarity: This describes patterns that repeat at different scales, like the branching of trees or the spiral arrangement of a seashell.
* Golden ratio: This mathematical ratio, approximately 1.618, appears in many natural forms, like the arrangement of leaves on a stem or the proportions of the human body.
* Fibonacci sequence: This mathematical sequence, where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, appears in many natural patterns, like the arrangement of seeds in a sunflower.
Ultimately, the best term to use depends on the specific context and the nature of the pattern being described.