By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics The traditional craft of quilting can be used to make many mathematical forms. While quilters have always used geometry to work out repeating patterns, some modern quilters go further in using mathematical objects as the subjects of their quilts. Here are two impressive examples by Sarah Mylchreest […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Each year I visit the annual Origami convention in New York City, and this year, as always, I was impressed by the wide range of works on display. The mathematical examples get more sophisticated each year. Here are just four examples to illustrate a range of folding […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics A twisted torus is a donut which twists as it closes on itself. It is a visually engaging mathematical design used by many artists through the ages. The origins of the idea are unknown, but below is a woodcut, published by the German graphic artist Johannes Lencker […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Here’s a challenge: Make something cool from binder clips. It will be tough to beat this spherical construction by Yang Enqi. Using one handle, five clips of one color are linked cyclically into a pentagon. Using the other handle, twelve of these pentagons assemble like a dodecahedron […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Paper is a versatile medium for experimentation and construction. Krystyna Burczyk has made beautiful sculptures by rolling paper squares to produce spiral corners that clasp together. They lock together without glue to create a kind of floral construction like modular origami but with spiral connections. This one […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Making geometric structures from commonly-found objects can result in some interesting effects. Here, sixty bicycle reflectors are joined into a spherical geometric construction by Nick Sayers. To connect them, he drilled four holes in each and fastened them together with small cable ties. Another example is this […]
By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Kirigami is a traditional art of cutting paper. Ulrich Mikloweit takes it a step further by assembling many pieces of kirigami into intricate mathematical models. This is a snub dodecadodecahedron made from 924 cut and colored facets. Ulrich has dedicated years to making hundreds of such hand-cut […]
