Math Monday: Wire torus challenge

Craft & Design Science

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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October 24th, 2010

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics

Here is a weaving challenge for serious makers: Can you take a single length of wire and weave it into a 3D donut surface as shown in this image? The two ends of the wire are joined with a small crimp, so it is all one continuous loop. This was made by Dmitri Kolzov and displayed at the European Society for Mathematics and Art Conference in Paris this past July.

It can be compressed flat, but naturally springs back into the torus shape. If you solve that and want another challenge, try making Dmitri’s springy double-sphere surface, again from a single loop of wire:

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Math Monday: Wire torus challenge

By Gareth Branwyn