If the cation is symmetrical, it how would we know? if the distance between the points is exactly the same, except where point do not exist, it would be symmetrical. it is not symmetrical, as it does miss a point. adding another atom might make it symmetrical, and more stable? It is so stable because it is nearly symmetrical. this reminds me of the theory of everything, as it has eleven molecules or something attached to it. if it resembles how our world works on a micro scale, then maybe we should investigate further, to find how we get the eleven measurements to fit into one stable shape.
I'm afraid this is too garbled, both grammatically and logically, for me to guess what if anything you are driving at. Could you try again, making clear which are statements, which are questions and help readers understand how they are connected? Or is this just a wind-up?
I was opening up a new topic. I thought I would say, from my guessing, that this is not a symmetrical cation, and that it reminds me of the theory of everything - that it has eleven aspects - eleven points.
In the case of the unsubstituted norbornyl cation, the evidence for the symmetrical structure appears to come from nmr and from the scrambling of C14 tracer atoms in certain reactions that proceed via the cation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-classical_ion I think I've read that the same does not appear to be true for the substituted versions. The implication, in the unsubstituted case, seems to be that carbon occasionally forms multi-centre bonds (rather in the way that boron does), but the that the extra stability of the multi-centre molecular orbital is not enough for it to continue to be favoured when substituents are present. But that's the limit of what I know. Perhaps others can add something.
