FYSP 008 - Form and Formula: the Interplay Between Mathematics and the Arts

Semester Offered: First Semester
Full Course
Credits: 4 credits
Attribute: 4NS, QFR, WINT

What makes a pattern “pleasing” to the eye or ear? In this course, we will examine aesthetically pleasing patterns in dance, music, and visual art, interpreting them through the lens of mathematics. Students will have an opportunity to fold origami, create frieze prints, analyze music scores, and try out simple choreography during class. Through solving problems on carefully scaffolded worksheets, students will discover how principles from group theory, topology, combinatorics, and geometry lie at the foundations of these artistic disciplines. Prior experience, or at least a willingness, to create art in various forms is desirable. No prior mathematical knowledge will be assumed.

Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: L. Thompson

Consent of the Instructor Required: Yes