"It has been revealed in The Lost Experience that these six numbers are the core values of the Valenzetti Equation, a mathematical formula designed to predict the end of humanity. The numbers in actuality are said to represent human and environmental factors in the equation (given numerical form), though their precise meaning is uncertain. The purpose of the DHARMA Initiative was to change the factors leading to humanity's demise, which will be indicated by an alteration in at least one of the human/environmental factors - i.e. the numbers. However, in all its years of research, the Initiative failed to reach its goal. Despite much research and manipulation of the equation's values, the end result was always the numbers. " http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Numbers Type in Sri Lanka Lost Experience on YouTube or something, and you should get the video from the Lost Experieince that explained the numbers. Basically Valenzetti was a mathematician or something, and he was responsible for finding an equation for the end of the world during the Cold War. Since his equation takes enviornmental and human factors into consideration to get the result, the Cold War probably effected the outcome of the equation (the Cold War could have caused WWIII which could have destroyed a lot of the world). Now enter the Dharma Initiative. They are on the island with one goal. Change the outcome of Valenzetti's equation. Remember the hatch that has a button to push every 108 minutes, and unless the button is pushed, the world ends? Well you can put two and two together, and figure out that, that hatch was there so they could alter the numbers in some way, because supposedly the hatch could cause the end of the world. The numbers should have been effected by this threat, yet the numbers never changed. What exactly do the numbers mean? We don't know. We just know that they are a result of this equation. I find that explanation pretty cool. I'm sure they'll elaborate more on the show itself.
