Math and Art

Math and Art

• creativity comes in many forms and sometimes

scientists are artists, and artists are mathematicians!

–Scientists are creative

• It takes aesthetics and logic to be good at complex problem solving

• “Seeing” intricate relationships in numbers and data takes inner

vision that is a creative function

–Learning how to be creative in the sciences is what

differentiates a good scientist from a merely adequate one

–Mathematics is not just about formulas and logic, but about

patterns, symmetry, structure, shape and beauty
 Math and Art: Aesthetics

• Geometry affects the human psyche

–Mathematical relationships affect our perceptions
• Wavelength - the mathematical property of light and sound – it’s
around us everywhere
– Harmonics of colors – the basis of all color theory
– Harmonics of sound – the basis of all music theory
• Shapes:
– Pyramids - power, strength
– Spirals - dizzy, vertigo, movement
– Lines - sharpness, suddenness
– The use of shapes (math/geometry) in art allows the artist to control
the viewing perspective, or ‘space’ of the viewer
• By taking advantage of our brain’s pre-wired
concepts of our environment, artists selectively use
(and abuse) geometry to force the viewer into a
certain perspective
• Just because artist aren’t aware that they are using
math doesn’t mean they aren’t.
 Math and Art: Perspective

Before perspective drawing techniques were invented

in the 16th century, artists often used ways to show
depth and space in their art by overlapping objects,
showing large objects in foreground
and small objects in the background
 Math and Art: Perspectives

Linear Perspective
a geometric method of representing on paper the
way that objects appear to get smaller and closer
together, the further away they are.
 Math and Art: Perspectives

One of the first perspective paintings

 Math and Art: Playing with Optics

• ANAMORPHOSIS - Geometry is a very powerful

artistic tool
• An anamorphosis is a deformed image that appears in its true
shape when viewed in some "unconventional" way.
• Webster's 1913 Dictionary: A distorted or monstrous projection or
representation of an image on a plane or curved surface, which, when
viewed from a certain point, or as reflected from a curved mirror or through
a polyhedron, appears regular and in proportion; a deformation of an
image.
• the image must be viewed from a position that is very far from the
usual in-front and straight-ahead position from which we normally
expect images to be looked at.
• the image must be seen reflected in a distorting mirror (typical
shapes being cylindrical, conical and pyramidal).
• Anamorphoses are based on precise mathematical and physical
rules, the same rules that apply to the construction of all two-
dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects, except
that the rules are applied in ways that are a deliberate break from
the usual and conventional
 Math and Art: Perception and Geometry

The orientation of the picture is normally 90 degrees to the viewer.

But there is no reason why the window cannot be turned…
Math and Art: Perception and Geometry
Math and Art: Perception and Geometry
 Math and Art: Perception and Geometry
On the banks of the River Wear in Sunderland… a project lead by Colin Wilbourne
 Math and Art: Perception and Geometry
When you view the wall from the viewing seat… something magical happens…
Math and Art: Perception and Geometry
Math and Art: Holbein, The Ambassadors, 1533
 Math and Art: M.C. Escher

For me it remains an open question whether [this work] pertains to the realm of mathematics
or to that of art. – M.C. Escher

Among the most important of Escher's works from a mathematical point of view are those
dealing with the nature of space itself.

The “logic” of space is important to

artists and represents those spatial
relations among physical objects which
are necessary, and which when violated
result in visual paradoxes, sometimes
called optical illusions. (e.g. corners in
our dimension are 90 degrees)

This space has no 90 degree angles.

As the fish move from the inside to the
outside of their ‘universe’ they get
smaller, but they don’t know it because
their space is shrinking with them.

All artists are concerned with the logic of

space, and many have explored, and
broken, its rules quite deliberately.

Circle Limit III by M.C. Escher, 1959

 Math and Art: Tiling and Symmetry

Every culture has a preference for certain symmetry type of patterns

Patterns in Islamic Art

 Math and Art: Tiling and Symmetry

Every culture has a preference for certain symmetry type of patterns

 Math and Art: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope-type, or Mandala, images have been around for centuries!

The Mandala is considered by

many cultures to be Sacred
Geometry and Art
Mandala by artist Paul Heussenstamm ©2005
 Math and Art: Fractals

• Fractal appears to be a very modern term

created by Benoit Mandelbrot in an article
published in Scientific American magazine
around 1975. Mandelbrot discussed his choice
of names in The Fractal Geometry of Nature.
In it he wrote "I coined fractal from the Latin
adjective fractus.“
–The fractus is a derivative of frangere, for broken,
which is also the root of fraction.
• Ancient peoples appreciated fractals too, even
through they didn’t have a specific word or
concept for them… things like sea shells, and
plants like broccoli, pines, ferns too are
naturally occurring fractals
 Math and Art: Fractals

• What is a fractal?
–objects built using recursion, where some aspect
of the limiting object is infinite and another is finite,
and where at any iteration, some piece of the
object is a scaled down version of the previous
iteration
–Recursion: With a recursion we are given starting
information and a rule for how to use it to get new
information. Then we repeat the rule using the new
information as though it were the starting
information.
–So we have a loop. What comes out of the rule
goes back into the rule for the next iteration.
 Math and Art: Fractals - basics

• Example of a recursion which cranks out a

sequence of numbers called the Fibonacci
Numbers:

We have starting information and a rule for generating a new value. The n increases by one
each time, so we can ask questions like find the ninth fibonacci number. We are given two
starting values since each new value is calculated from the two previous ones.
 Math and Art: Fractals

So the ninth number in this sequence would be calculated like this:

The first numbers are 1 and 1, as given.

The rule says to take the two previous

numbers and add them to get the new number:

n = 3: 1+1 =2
n = 4: 1+2 =3
n = 5: 2+3 =5
n = 6: 3+5 =8
n = 7: 5+8 = 13
n = 8: 8 + 13 = 21
n = 9: 13 + 21 = 34
 Math and Art: Fractals – more information

• Some more information about fractals:

–The starting information is called the initiator
–The rule for iterating is called the generator
–Many fractals are self similar.
• Self-similarity means that two or more objects have the same
characteristics.
• In fractals, the shapes of lines (or patterns) at different iterations
look like smaller versions of the earlier shapes

Remember this one?

It’s a great example of a
very artistic, hand-
generated fractal!
This is Escher’s concept
of a hyperbolic space.
 Math and Art: Fractals

• Other interesting things to ponder:

–Things that work for finite sets may not work for
infinite sets.
–An infinite amount of stuff doesn't always take an
infinite amount of space.
–The sum of an infinite number of numbers can be
finite.
• Think about the tortoise and hare race:
The tortoise travels the following distances, one fraction for
each time step:
1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 + etc...
This means he never gets to the end of the race because the
sum of the above sequence never gets past 1!
–Seemingly chaotic (random appearing) functions
can ultimately create an ordered appearing
system
 Math and Art: Fractals

• Let’s play the Chaos Game

–Why is this game interesting?
• What happens when we spill out a bag of marbles onto the floor? After
they stop rolling around, we get a pattern formed by the marbles - perhaps
not a very interesting one. If we spill the same marbles out on the same
floor again, do we expect to get the same pattern of marbles? No. The
pattern is pretty random, and we expect that. The chaos game was
proposed by Michael Barnsley in the mid-1980s as a way to see how
patterns can result from certain random events.
–start with a set of dots on a page -- we'll call them vertices.
The classic game starts with three vertices numbered 1, 2,
and 3, and places them at the corners of an equilateral
triangle:
 Math and Art: Fractals

• Now we choose a point at random on the page, and

then roll a three-sided die. Move half way to the point
whose number was rolled and draw a new point.
Real life three-sided dice are hard to find (in fact
impossible!) so to fake one, we will use a regular six-
sided one, letting a roll of 1 or 2 move towards vertex
1, rolls of 3 or 4 towards vertex 2, and rolls of 4 or 5
moving towards vertex 3.
–For example, suppose we chose point P below and then
rolled a 1, 6, 2, 2, and 4 in that order:
 Math and Art: Fractals – Chaos Game

We continue plotting points in this way. After five hundred points a pattern starts to appear:

Recognize the pattern? This is what Barnsley

wanted to demonstrate: Randomness can
generate a very precise pattern sometimes.
 Math and Art: Fractals – Self Similarity

While iteration and recursion describe the process of repeating

steps. Self-similarity is a property of the object, not of the
steps used to build the object.

The Koch Curve is a great example of this concept.

To build the original Koch curve, start with a line
segment 1 unit long. (Iteration 0, or the initiator)
– that would be the top-most image of the line.

Replace each line segment with the generator

shown in the middle illustration.

Then take the line segment and replace it with

four new segments, each a copy of the original
generator.

Repeat this process on all line segments and

you get the image shown at the bottom.

This process repeats itself infinitely in the Koch

Curve so that zooming in on any part of the
curve yields a copy of itself.
 Math and Art: Fractals – Self Similarity, another example

This is a Van Koch fractal. It is based on a very simple shape.

To create the fractal, the flat lines are replaced by the entire shape itself.

This process is repeated again and again to create an infinitely complicated fractal.
Every part of the fractal contains the original shape. We say that the fractal is self-similar.
 Math and Art: Fractals – Self Similarity

Here is the process which yields the Koch Star

 Math and Art: Julia sets

One of the most basic fractal types is the family of Julia sets, discovered by the French mathematician
Gaston Julia during the first World War. Julia sets are created by a simple formula with one complex
parameter called c or seed. This parameter can be varied to create many variations. Here are a few
examples.

Julia sets are also self-similar, as illustrated by the following zooms into the last image above. The first
zoomed image shows the top of the original. Further zooms are illustrated by the small red rectangles in the
images.

The same spiral-like shape is repeated over and over again.

 Math and Art: Mandelbrot set

The Mandelbrot set, discovered in 1980 by Benoit Mandelbrot, is

probably the most famous fractal. Like Julia sets, it is
generated by a very simple formula, but it is incredibly
complex.

The Mandelbrot set is loosely self-similar: parts of the original

fractal appear again when zooming in, but often deformed and
with different ornaments. This is what makes it so rewarding to
zoom into this fractal: you never know what you will see next.
This is illustrated by the following short zoom, starting at the very
left of the Mandelbrot set shown above. As you zoom in, you see
copies of the original Mandelbrot set, but with different
surroundings.

Another interesting aspect of the Mandelbrot set is that it's actually a map of all Julia sets. Each point
corresponds to a Julia set. Points inside the Mandelbrot set (here shown as black) are connected Julia sets;
points outside the Mandelbrot set tend to give more disorganized Julia sets.
 Math and Art: Fractal Popularity

• Why are fractals so popular?

– Because of the many softwares available today, which allow
unprecedented ease-of-use in the creation of fractals with almost no
math required by the user!
– The affordability of serious computing power—available in even the
most modest home computer system—allows almost everyone to
create magnificent images utilizing complex fractals, versatile coloring
schemes and intricate transformations.
• Fractals have grown from a mathematical curiosity to a
respected form of art.
– There are fractal exhibitions in museums and galleries all over the
world.
– There is a large number of online galleries on the web, even some that
offer prints and posters from various fractal artists. (hey, sounds like
deviantART! Doh!)
– And because there are so many fractal programs available (some
freeware, some for a modest shareware registration fee), there is
bound to be one user interface that is right for just about every comfort
and skill level.
• It’s no wonder that we are seeing a huge increase in the
number of artists taking advantage of computer technology to
explore fractals and their application in their own work.
 Math and Art: Fractals Today — Ultra Fractal

• While Ultra Fractal is pretty good at exploring the classic fractal types
discussed so far, it can do much more than that.
– There are many more fractal types to choose from
– You can even write your own fractal formulas (or use formulas written by other,
very generous people, who make their formulas available for public download)
– Most fractal types are variations on the Mandelbrot and Julia sets.
• Transformations can be added to distort the shape of the fractal.
• Multiple layers are also available, allowing the user to combine different
fractals or different coloring methods to form the final image.
• With the switch feature in Ultra Fractal, you can easily pick a point of a
Mandelbrot fractal to see the corresponding Julia set. This is the best way
to discover interesting Julia sets.
• Ultra Fractal solves the fractal equation for a 2 dimensional solution.
– That is, the values of the fractal at each point in the 2 dimensional space
represented by the equation are encoded with a particular color based on the
calculated value of the fractal at that point.
– The colors that are assigned to fractal outputs cans be manipulated by the user
so that the change in color from one fractal solution value to the next can be in
steps of varying size.
• For example:
– linear rates of change from one color to the next
– logarithmic
– sinusoidal (and the corresponding cosine, tangent, and hyper values)
– Exponential
 Math and Art: Fractals Today — Ultra Fractal

• Each fractal type can be combined with various

coloring algorithms, each capable of coloring the
fractal in a different way.
• Since fractals are functions whose values are derived
from several iterations of calculations, the user is also
in control of how many maximum iterations are
allowed at each point.
• In some cases, the value of the fractal at a certain
point is indeterminate because the fractal is
somewhat chaotic at that position, under those initial
conditions. In cases like these, the software reaches
the maximum number of iterations before zeroing in
on the value, so it applies the ‘default’ color as
defined by the user.
 Math and Art: Ultra Fractal Work Space

The basis for the fractal comment {

Carr1800.ufm Version 1.1
calculation begins with the Ultra Fractal conversions of Robert Carr's formulas Carr1800 - Carr1899
by Erik Reckase, March 10, 2000
formula.
History: Version 1.1 - Major optimization overhaul, cleanup

To the right is a tiny snip of what Version 1.0 - Initial Release

a typical Ultra Fractal formula
might look like
→ Original formulas pulled from _rc1.frm

Carr1800 : divide by undefined variable

Carr1809,1812,1847-1851,
1854-1855,1877-1878 : cosxx fix
As you can see, it’s a fairly }

straight forward c-like language. Carr1800 { ; Updated for UF2 by Erik Reckase, March 2000
init:
Every part of the fractal z=1/pixel, c=1/(pixel-sqr(z/z^z+z)/atan(pixel))
loop:
calculation process is controlled z = z^3 + c
bailout:
by formulas. |real(z)| <= 10
default:
title = "Carr 1800"
There are three types of periodicity = 0
formulas: fractal formulas, maxiter = 500
magn = .6
coloring algorithms, and }
center = (0,0)

transformations.
Carr1801 { ; Updated for UF2 by Erik Reckase, March 2000
; Mandelbrot
A formula can be seen as a init:
z=1/(pixel-conj(1/pixel)-flip(1/pixel))
small, specialized computer c=1/(pixel-z-cos(sqr(z/(pixel-.124))))
program that is compiled and loop:
z = z^2 + c
executed by Ultra Fractal. bailout:
|real(z)| <= 10
default:
By writing your own formulas, title = "Carr 1801"
periodicity = 0
you can completely customize maxiter = 500
how a fractal is calculated. magn = .6

… program continues …
 Math and Art: Fractals – Ultra Fractals As Art

The following are examples of 2-dimensional renders of fractal equations created

using Ultra Fractal
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
 Math and Art: Fractals – Another Dimension

• Fractals can exist in multiple dimensions.

– Theoretically, they can exist in an infinite number of dimensions.
– For our presentation, we’ll stick to just the 2nd and 3rd dimensions.
– (Although, a 4th dimensional fractal is one that changes over time, so it
is possible to calculate fractals with respect to time and make some
very engaging animations!)
• So far, we’ve only talked about viewing and calculating fractals
in 2 dimensions. Working in 3 dimensions opens up, well, a
whole new dimension in what can be done with fractals!
• The same concepts apply to a 3D fractal as a 2D, only for
every point within your viewing window instead of just
rendering the value at X an Y, we now have a Z to worry
about.
• Having a Z-axis allows us to rotate our fractal’s frame of
reference with respect to our rendering camera to obtain some
very cool shapes.
Math and Art: Fractals – As Art
Math and Art: Fractals – 2D vs 3D
As you can see mathematics and fractals play
a fundamental role in not only the geek side of
things, but also the art side of things. With
math, we, as artists, can better control the
effect our art has on our viewer – and that’s
what it’s all about!

Math is the foundation of it all!