nPostednJune 17, 2013
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Whynare there so many pictures by artist M. C. Escher in Harold Jacob’snmathematics textbooks?
Whynare there so many pictures by artist M. C. Escher in Harold Jacob’snmathematics textbooks?n
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nInpersonally have seen exactly zero pictures by Rembrandt, Leonardo danVinci, or Claude Monet in a math textbook—and they were pretty goodnartists! What makes Escher so popular with math-textbook writers?
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nEscher’snwork is a great combination of mathematics and art. His art pieces explore mathematical concepts and stretch our minds in the process.
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nWhen Escher draws knights on horseback, they fit togethernin tessellations, which is a mathematical pattern that fits shapes together in a process like tiling.
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nWhen he draws a boy looking at a piece of art,nin the background of that piece of art…is a boy looking at a piecenof art. The strange loops or infinite regressions that Escher creatednin his art speak about the mathematical concept of infinity.
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nEschernalso creates worlds that seem impossible—worlds in which waternflows downhill but in a loop, worlds in which gravity pulls everynwhich way, instead of only down, worlds in which ants walk forevernalong a Mobius strip.
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nOfncourse, the physics of the universe, it turns out, is stranger thannwe ever thought possible, so who knows what deep truths thesen“impossible” pictures hold for us. I will say that the impossiblenpeople walking upside-down and topsy-turvy look a lot like astronautsnin space!
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nChecknout the connection between math and Escher’s art here.
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nZoomnin on the infinity of an Escher print here.
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nAndnenjoy the variety of Escher drawings and woodcuts here.
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nAlsonon this date:
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nStewart’s Root Beer Day
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nAnniversarynof the “discovery” of muskoxen
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nBunkernHill Day
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest pages on Junenholidays, historicalnanniversaries in June,nand Junenbirthdays.
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest pages on Julynholidays, historicalnanniversaries in July,nand Julynbirthdays.
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