Mathematical Models as Sculptures

Carlo H. Séquin, University of California

Introduction

Even one of the simplest mathematical forms, a rectangle, can become art when it is suitably warped, closed into a loop, painted, and/or textured. In this essay, we will explore many differwent totoplogical forms resulting.
 
 

Figure: The sculpture Minimal Flower 3, shown here in two views, consists of a minimal surface spanning a knotted boundary curve. Topologically it is modeled on the Brent Collins sculpture Atomic Flower II, consisting of a central disk, with three orientation-reversing ribbons attached.