Math Trek

  1. Math

    A Snowy Twist

    Carving a massive block of packed snow into an elegant sculpture presents all sorts of challenges. It’s even tougher when the goal is an intricate mathematical shape with a gravity-defying heart. A Twist in Time. Photo by Stan Wagon Eltanin by Bathsheba Grossman. On display at the northeast corner of 33rd and Walnut St., University […]

    By Ivars Peterson
  2. Math

    Algebraic Hearts

    One of the marvels of mathematics is the way in which an austere equation can unexpectedly blossom into an appealing geometric shape when represented graphically. Cardioid. Picture of an algebraic heart. Gabriel Taubin A heart surface colored according to Gaussian curvature (left) and direction (right). Michael Trott/Wolfram Research A heart-y prime puzzle.