Celestial tapestry : the warp and weft of art and mathematics / Nicholas Mee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mee, Nicholas, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science news.

Art--History.

Art.

Mathematics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (337 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Oxford University Press, [2020]

Summary:

"Artists and scientists view the world in quite different ways. Nevertheless, they are united in a search for hidden order beneath surface appearances. The quest for eternal geometrical designs is also seen in the sacred mathematical patterns created by the world's great religions. Tibetan monks fashion chalk mandalas representing the emergence of order in the universe. Moslem architects wrap their buildings in elaborate abstract tessellating designs. Celestial Tapestry' places mathematics within a vibrant cultural and historical context. Threads are woven together telling of surprising influences that pass between the Arts and Mathematics. The story involves intriguing characters: the soldier who laid the foundations for fractals and computer art while recovering in hospital after suffering serious injury in the First World War; the mathematician imprisoned for bigamy whose books had a huge influence on twentieth century art; the pioneer clockmaker who suffered from leprosy; the Victorian housewife who amazed mathematicians with her intuition for higher-dimensional space"--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Introduction: A magic carpet ride

Part I. The Fabric of Space, Time, and Matter. Into the labyrinth

Earth, air, fire, and water

The elements

The wheel of fortune

The end of the world is nigh!

Interstellar overdrive

Part II. Weaving Numbers and Patterns. Burning down the house

Rampant rabbits

There's magic in the air

Doctor illuminatus

The book of changes

Part III. Drawing Out the Golden Threads. The vanishing point

The golden number

Optical skullduggery

The perils of parallels!

Part IV. Higher Space and a Deeper Reality. The laws of thought

Free love in many dimensions

Into the fourth dimension

The bride stripped bare

Aunt Alice in Wonderland

Part V. Wandering Round the Knot Garden. Let's do the twist

The Gordian knot

All for one and one for all

Part VI. Casting the Celestial Net. Painting by numbers

The flat Earth society

Mapping the cosmos

Puzzles : answers.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes index.

ISBN:

0-19-259293-9

0-19-188669-6

0-19-259292-0