MATH 015B PZ -The Art and Math of Surfaces

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Limitless Boundaries: The Art and Math of Surfaces This course will combine art praxis and math theory through the creation and study of shapes and surfaces. Objects and sculptures will be created in order to learn fundamental craft techniques as well as formal mathematical concepts. We will also endeavor to go beyond simply using art to illustrate principles, but instead, to explore and discover new territories and theoretical frameworks by making art and then uncovering the math. Topology is the study of the properties of shapes that do not fundamentally change when they are bent and/or stretched without poking holes in them or ripping them apart. To a topologist, a donut and a coffee cup (with a handle) are the same thing, since one can be deformed into the other continuously, i.e. only via bending and/or stretching, while to an artist, a donut and a coffee cup are distinctly different formally, but also conceptually/metaphorically. We will delve into similar concepts comparatively through art praxis and mathematical formalization.

Prerequisite(s): See the current course schedule for registration restrictions.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal .