A collaborative art installation celebrating the joy, creativity and beauty of mathematics has been in the works for the past two years, and will soon be ready to emerge from its long gestation. The original idea, conceived by textile artist Dominique Ehrmann and mathematician Ingrid Daubechies inspired a team of 24 Mathemalchemists to work together, transforming the whole conception in the process, and bringing their individual expertise and whimsy to a large installation.

Despite the challenges of Covid-19, the team created a fantasy world where herons haul up nets loaded with special knots in the Knotical scene, a tortoise meditates while ambling along Zeno’s path, chipmunks and squirrels ponder the mysteries of prime numbers, and a cat named Arnold bakes cookies that tile the plane in the Mandelbrot bakery; and a myriad more mathematical ideas swirl through the air.

This presentation will introduce some of the ideas and components, and show the team at work. Here’s a sneak preview: www.mathemalchemy.org or @mathemalchemy

Multi-award winning Ingrid Daubechies is James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University.

Watch (no need to register and it will remain available after broadcast):
www.youtube.com/c/OxfordMathematics

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.