The Island Is An Iteration Machine... The Numbers Log Each Variation by Stinkin' Thinkin

Here's what we know after 5 seasons -

1) The island and participants are in a time loop (The clues: Time Traveling Losties, Desmond's differing accounts of rescue, Ben seeming to know everything that is happening, visible cause and effect in viewing the different time periods of the island...)

2) There is at least one party interest in ending the loop (The major clue: Flocke/Jacob discussions of "They come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt" Jacob mentioning that "only has to end once"....)

3) There are ways to impart information to the next loop (The clues: Faraday's Journal, the Compass, Desmond's mind)

4) There are people aware of the loop and their actions influencing different outcomes (The major clue: Faraday's theory about the explosion of "Jughead")

Considering these facts, my theory is that factions either in Ann Arbor or at the Temple are methodically changing variables in each time loop iteration. Each variable is a change to one of the events surrounding the island.

My belief is that the cataloging of these iterations is the mysterious Lost numbers.... 4-8-15-16-23-42 was the iteration that included the Jughead explosion and what will be Season 6.

My guess is that the manipulation of lotteries, stamping the numbers on the Swan, etc. are part of the carry forward process of recording an iteration (so it is not repeated). Remember the line "everything else is progress..."

There may have been an infinite number of iterations (there is no end to time within the loop). This could answer why Eloise Hawking has so much data spread all over her Lighthouse office. Perhaps after millions of loops it came down to 6 people showing up at this particular island.

Obviously the "End Team" is getting close to the right answer. Perhaps the "Loop Forever Team" is getting nervous any may be pushing things to war.

Who will win... the Loopers or the Enders!