mathematics

Math Monday: Mathematical beading

Math Monday: Mathematical beading

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Beading is a traditional craft which recently has been applied to make interesting mathematical models. Here are some impressive examples by Bih-Yaw Jin, starting with a beaded Mobius strip. A beaded helical surface twists through space like a cork screw. All five Platonic solids are shown here, […]

Math Monday: Nailbanger’s Nightmare

Math Monday: Nailbanger’s Nightmare

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics In 1995, I designed this hypothetical construction and posted a computer rendering of it online. It is called “Nailbanger’s Nightmare” because I thought it was far more complex than any carpenter would ever want to make. After fifteen years, I was surprised to receive an email from […]

Fluid polygons and polyhedra

Fluid polygons and polyhedra

We’ll call it Math Wednesday. Marc de Vinck turned me on to these amazing fluid-based polygons and polyhedra: When a vertical water jet strikes a circular horizontal impactor, the water is deflected into a horizontal sheet. At sufficiently high speeds, the flow results in a circular water sheet, whose radius is set by a balance […]

Math Monday: Whittling links and knots

Math Monday: Whittling links and knots

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics Whittling is a traditional technique for making one-of-a-kind objects that doesn’t get enough attention nowadays. A time-old method of demonstrating one’s whittling technique is to carve linked objects from a single piece of wood. The above step-by-step guide shows four stages in making a pair of linked […]