#illustratingMath

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 days ago

A promotional flyer for a virtual event titled "Live from the Institut Henri Poincaré: PT II." The top left features a circular photo of the arched brick entrance to the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris, with the name of the institute engraved in the stone above the door. Event Description: The text states that a group of mathematical illustrators is working at the institute this winter. In this "show and ask" format, a variety of participants will share what they have been working on. Schedule and Logistics: Date: Friday, February 13. Times: 9 AM US Pacific, 12 PM US Eastern, and 6 PM Central Europe. Platform: The talk will be held on Zoom. A QR code is provided in the bottom right corner to join the meeting. Website: illustratingmath.org The footer indicates that the Illustrating Math Seminar Online takes place on the second Friday of every month.

Tomorrow, on Friday, the 13th, join us for the second "Live from the Institut Henri Poincaré" #illustratingMath seminar online. You will get to hear what people have been working on during the current trimester program. We start at 9am Pacific/12pm Easter/6pm EUR. See you then!

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

These are some lovely #domainColoring examples! A great way of #illustratingMath. We have just published a share reimplementing some of our results on donation coloring here: www.shadertoy.com/view/t3yfz3 (It's hearts 💕)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

Decorate your event Ideas and resources to decorate your IDM event venue.

The International Day of Mathematics (IDM) is approaching fast (March 14th / Pi-Day / Tau over 2 Day). If you want to do some #illustratingMath in preparation for that, the organizers have just released their "color them yourself" posters: www.idm314.org/decorate#pos.... Please share your results!

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

People who are into Sol LeWitt’s "Variations on Incomplete Open Cubes" or following @sollewitt.bsky.social, here is a new preprint from #illustratingMath colleague Mikael Vejdemo-Johansson, answering the question: What about incomplete versions of the other platonic solids?
arxiv.org/pdf/2602.204...

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

Check out @mathgrrl.com's thread below for pictures of her finalized #Crochet #MathArt work. I saw it today and it's truly amazing. Cannot wait for the exhibition at the Maison Poincaré in Paris to open in early April. #illustratingMath

Sylvie Benzoni-Gavage

@gavagesylvie.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

A cardboard box containg a small one with paper models of 2 versions of a 3D puzzle, plus pieces of V1. The challenge reads: was V1 a failure? Try it! (V2 works)

In case you are in the neighbourhood, a challenge is waiting for you at the Institut Henri Poincaré. #illustratingMath

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

Today's @smbccomics.bsky.social illustrates how we have not even answered some #Math questions on #prime numbers. There's so much still to do in #Math, go grab your pencil and let's get started. #illustratingMath

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

Peace for Triple Piano (stereographic projection version) YouTube video by Henry Segerman

Here's a sneak peek from the #illustratingMath #shortFIlms screening, a video by @henryseg.bsky.social: youtu.be/g3X0d5NUjjA. (3/3)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

Two intricate white paper origami models of flat Tori sit on a wooden desk in the foreground of a lecture hall. One is a hollow, ring-like structure composed of sharp triangular folds, while the other is a hexagonal folded box. The background is softly blurred, showing a large chalkboard and a projection screen displaying a circular, swirling abstract pattern. A person is seated at the presenter's desk in the distance, though their features are not in focus.

A group of people are gathered at the front of a lecture hall for a discussion or Q&A session. In the foreground, a person wearing a white hoodie and a colorful, multicolored knit beanie stands with their back to the camera, holding a microphone. They face a group of about ten other people standing in front of a large chalkboard. One person in the group is speaking into a microphone.

In the afternoon, there are two screenings of #illustratingMath #shortFilms. A highlight is the movie by Alba Málaga (albamath.com/en/about) about folding a flat torus (which we all get to do while watching the video). The Q&A with the creators is super insightful. (2/3)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

A person, Thomas Fernique, stands at a wooden desk in a lecture hall, gesturing with one hand while giving a presentation. Behind them, a large screen displays a slide titled "Penrose Tilings" featuring a photograph of a geometrically tiled floor and mathematical text. A large, dark chalkboard sits below the projection screen.

A person, Sofia Lambropoulou, stands at the front of a lecture hall next to a desk with microphones and water bottles. They are looking down as they present a slide titled "Recapitulate through an example." The slide contains a hand-drawn diagram of a knot, braid group notation, and various mathematical formulas related to Hecke algebras and Markov traces.

A projection of a computer screen showing a PDF document about the representation of Braid Groups to Temperley Lieb algebra. The document includes hand-drawn mathematical diagrams of crossings and equations. On the right side of the projection, a small video call window shows the person, Lou Kauffman, giving the talk.

On today's 4th day of our #illustratingMath conference on "Bridging visualization and understanding in Geometry and Topology" at the Institut Henri Poincaré, we hear talks from Thomas Fernique, Sofia Lambropoulou, and Lou Kauffman (online), touching on tilings, braids, and more. (1/3)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

A person, Samantha Fairchild, stands in a lecture hall pointing toward a large blackboard. They have blonde hair tied back and are wearing a black top with a patterned skirt. The blackboard contains hand-drawn diagrams of a torus and a square, along with the equation for an elliptic curve: $y^2 = x(x+1)(x-1)$. Above them, a projector screen displays a slide titled "If you give a mathematician a surface..." featuring a drawing of a torus and a purple gift box icon.

A person, Mélanie Theilière, is captured mid-presentation in a lecture hall. They have long dark hair and are wearing a striped grey and white zip-up hoodie over a black shirt and jeans. They are gesturing with their hands while speaking. The projector screen behind them displays a $3 \times 3$ grid of complex, highly textured 3D mathematical visualizations of torus-like shapes in various shades of white and blue.

A person, Martin Traizet, stands in front of a blackboard covered in mathematical derivations. They have grey hair and are wearing a black graphic t-shirt and grey cargo pants. The blackboard includes formulas for the Weierstrass representation of minimal surfaces, such as $\Phi_1 = (1-g^2)\eta$, $\Phi_2 = i(1+g^2)\eta$, and $\Phi_3 = 2g\eta$. The projector screen above displays a slide titled "Why is it hard to find a minimal surface with no symmetries?" with diagrams of a catenoid, a helicoid, and a Costa surface.

3rd day of our #illustratingMath conference at the @InHenriPoincare - a short day with 3 talks. Samantha Fairchild, Mélanie Theilière, and Martin Traizet speak about their respective views on surfaces: how to compare them, how to embed them, and how to visualize them, of course.

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

A large group of people poses for a commemorative photo in front of the Institut Henri Poincaré, a red brick building with a French and a European flag hanging above the entrance. The group consists of several dozen people of varying ages and styles, standing and kneeling on the pavement between two large trees. To the left, a small sign is visible, mentioning a workshop titled "Bridging visualization and understanding in Geometry and Topology."

In a lecture hall, Claire David, a person wearing a red jacket, stands near a wooden podium. Behind them, a large projection screen displays a slide titled "Our Proof of Concept – VI," which shows two complex fractal-like graphs labeled as "Weierstrass-prefractal driven hulls." A dark blackboard is situated behind the person, and microphones are visible on the desk in the foreground.

A person with curly hair and a blue backpack is seen from behind, writing on a large black wall covered in mathematical formulas and geometric sketches in white and red chalk. They are gesturing toward a diagram while working through complex equations, including references to fractals and differential expressions.

Aurélien Alvarez, a person wearing a beige hoodie and glasses, stands in a lecture hall giving a presentation. A screen above them displays a slide about "The Hopf fibration," featuring a colorful, intricate geometric diagram of overlapping curves. On the blackboard, the person has drawn a circle with radial lines and written several mathematical expressions, including $R = x \frac{\partial}{\partial x} + y \frac{\partial}{\partial y}$.

On the second day of our #illustratingMath conference on "Bridging visualization and understanding in Geometry and Topology" at the Institut Henri Poincaré, we hear from Claire David and Aurélien Alvarez. Next to some lively discussions, we also take our conference group photo. (1/2)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

A wooden table displays several intricate geometric models constructed from thin, layered wood. Two large models dominate the center, featuring complex, pixelated structures that illustrate "The Arctic Circle Theorem," as indicated by a handwritten sign.

Three non-traditional soccer balls rest on a wooden desk in front of a chalkboard. The balls have varying geometries: one is elongated, one is a standard sphere, and the third is slightly asymmetrical. This comes from re-arranging the pentagons and hexagons on the soccer balls, where pentagons are still colored black and hexagons are still colored white. To achieve the different shapes, more hexagons/pentagons are needed than in the original soccer ball. They are surrounded by several sheets of paper showing diagrams and mathematical tessellations of pentagons and hexagons.

A collection of 3D-printed geometric solids sits on a wooden surface. These shapes, including pyramids and prisms, are covered in detailed, repeating fractal patterns in blue and orange. A large, white, open-topped geometric structure sits in the center, holding one of the patterned tiles.

A black, 3D-printed spherical structure with various circular openings sits on a light wooden table. Next to it are four clear acrylic discs, each etched with a different geometric pattern. These etchings include a simple triangle, a pentagon, and two highly intricate fractal designs.

In the afternoon, we close with an exhibition of various #illustratingMath objects. The last set of objects, laser-carved into plexiglass, can be explored interactively here: lael.dev/billiards. A great way to end the first day and to kick off this conference week! (2/2)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

An outdoor sign for a conference is positioned in front of a large tree and a classic stone building. The sign features the title "Bridging Visualization and Understanding in Geometry" and specifies the dates as February 16th to 20th, 2026. It also mentions the Amphitheater Hermite at the Institut Henri Poincaré.

Hugo Parlier, a person wearing a checkered shirt, stands at the front of a classroom. They are gesturing with their hands while presenting a slide titled "Quadratis puzzles," which displays a 3x3 grid and a colorful square pattern. Behind them, a chalkboard contains conference webpage details and a note to respond using a flower emoji.

Érika Roldán, a person dressed in a dark shirt, is giving a presentation in a lecture hall. They stand in front of a projection screen showing a slide titled "Dominatrix — Polyomino Domination," which features a white geometric shape composed of squares. The chalkboard behind them is covered in handwritten mathematical formulas and conference information.

Martin Skrodzki, a person wearing a light-colored shirt and glasses, stands at the front of a wooden lecture hall. They are presenting a slide titled "Embedding high-dimensional data into (non-)Euclidean spaces (fast)." The slide includes the TU Delft logo. Several other people are seated in the amphitheater benches, seen from the back as they watch the presentation.

This week: Second conference of the #illustratingMath trimester at Institut Henri Poincaré, titled "Bridging visualization and understanding in Geometry and Topology." Talks are by Hugo Parlier, Érika Roldán, and yours truly. Play with Hugo's app here: quadratis.app/playPuzzle.h... (1/2)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

A person stands in a modern science exhibit space with their arms outstretched as if welcoming visitors. They are wearing a red shirt and loose-fitting pink trousers. Behind them is an intricate wall of geometric wooden shelving shaped like hexagons and trapezoids, filled with scientific models, a chalkboard, and a large glass terrarium containing lush green plants.

A close-up of three curved, horn-shaped metal sculptures resting on a light-colored wooden table. The sculptures have a distinct weathered green patina and are hollow at the ends. The table surface features a decorative pattern of small, recessed circles. In the background, the lower half of a person sitting at the table is partially visible.

A wide-angle view of a bustling, high-ceilinged museum room filled with visitors. A long, curving banner displaying an extensive sequence of the digits of Pi hangs prominently from the ceiling. People are scattered throughout the space, interacting with exhibits and gathered around wooden tables etched with branching patterns. The room is framed by wooden walls and geometric shelving packed with scientific displays.

A view through an open bright orange door into a museum gallery. Above the doorway, a backlit sign reads "BIOLOGIE & MATHÉMATIQUES 3" in French. Inside the dimly lit room, several people are gathered in conversation. The exterior wall is made of horizontal wooden planks, creating a warm, workshop-like atmosphere.

Another highlight from the #illustratingMath trimester at the Institut Henri Poincaré this month was a visit to the @palaisdecouverte.bsky.social . We had a great time with Robin, who showed us the different items from their mathematical cabinet of curiosities. Visit them if you have the chance!

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

If you are into #illustratingMath, but have not yet had a chance to play this great game, here's your chance to enter #hyperbolic space!

Sylvie Benzoni-Gavage

@gavagesylvie.bsky.social

1 month ago

A multicolor holed cube

Project completed! A 3D puzzle made of 9 pieces showing a complete 9-colour map on this rectangular version of the #Rulpidon. Printed at the maker space of @sorbonne-universite.fr during the #illustratingMath trimestre at the Institut Henri Poincaré.

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

Finally, a great tradition of our #illustratingMath events are the "Show & Ask" sessions, where speakers can show some of their illustration works and can ask the community for feedback, help, or advice. Of course, we are also running these on a weekly basis. (6/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

There are many regular activities running during our #illustratingMath trimester, including a #VR working group, a "Math in the Web" group, and a Shadertoy
group. One of them is the weekly Drawing Club that is devoted to physical and digital drawings to visualize #math. (4/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

An important part of the trimester is our weekly #illustratingMath seminar. The first three editions were given by Chaim Goodman-Strauss, Aaron Abrams, and
@henryseg.bsky.social. We heard about geometric constructions, visualizations of configuration spaces, and soap bubble #math. (3/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

Things have been rather busy at the #illustratingMath trimester at the Institut Henri Poincaré for the last two weeks. A number of illustration projects have been started. I'll share some highlights in this thread. (1/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

A person identified as Edmund Harriss stands in front of a bright white screen and a dark background. They are wearing glasses, have a beard, and are dressed in a purple t-shirt featuring a white geometric design of nested polygons. They are holding and examining a white, lattice-like spherical model made of thin, connected segments.

A person identified as Samuel Lelièvre stands at the front of a lecture hall, positioned before a large yellow projection screen. They are wearing glasses and a blue zip-up sweater with a green shoulder panel. The screen behind them displays the heading "Deltahedra: all faces are equilateral triangles" and notes regarding the minimum number of faces for spheres and tori. Several white paper geometric models and cutouts are spread across the wooden table in front of them.

Finally, a great tradition of our #illustratingMath events are the "Show & Ask" sessions, where speakers can show some of their illustration works and can ask the community for feedback, help, or advice. Of course, we are also running these on a weekly basis. (6/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

A large, white paper helicoid sculpture sits in the center of a wooden desk. Next to it is a printed worksheet titled "How To Draw a Sphere," which breaks the process down into four steps: scaffolding, shading, highlights, and ambiance. In the background, several people are seated at tables in a classroom setting, including one person wearing a white face mask and another wearing a patterned purple hat.

A tabletop view shows a white sheet of paper featuring a pencil sketch of a curved, segmented, tube-like mathematical shape. Surrounding the drawing are two mugs of coffee, a tray filled with wrapped Lotus Biscoff cookies, and a green program booklet for "Maison Poincaré" that identifies it as "The museum where math comes to life".

A group of six people are gathered in a bright common room featuring modular pink and grey seating. Five people are seated and focused on their tablets, using styluses to create digital illustrations of red and blue spheres on 3D grids. One person, wearing a vibrant multi-colored striped dress, stands in the center while talking to a person in a yellow plaid shirt. The background shows a large green chalkboard covered in mathematical diagrams and formulas, alongside a black upright piano and a pink banner for the "Institut Henri Poincaré".

There are many regular activities running during our #illustratingMath trimester, including a #VR working group, a "Math in the Web" group, and a Shadertoy group. One of them is the weekly Drawing Club that is devoted to physical and digital drawings to visualize #math. (4/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

A wide shot of a traditional lecture hall with tiered wooden seating. At the front of the room, a person identified as Aaron Abrams stands at a desk, looking toward the audience. Behind them, a large screen displays a technical diagram and a block of text, while a chalkboard is covered in hand-drawn geometric shapes and circles. Several people are seated in the audience, some working on laptops that show code or diagrams.

A person identified as Chaim Goodman-Strauss stands in front of a large chalkboard, gesturing with one hand while they speak. They are wearing a purple t-shirt and dark trousers. The chalkboard behind them is filled with white chalk drawings, including several rows of the letter "R" in different orientations and patterns of arrowhead-like symbols.

A person identified as Henry Segerman stands at the front of a classroom next to a large projection screen. They are wearing a dark t-shirt with a white graphic and are looking toward the audience. The slide on the screen is titled "Avoiding inessential edges" and lists their name along with Oklahoma State University and several research collaborators. To the left of the text on the slide is a detailed image of a complex, bubble-like geometric structure.

An important part of the trimester is our weekly #illustratingMath seminar. The first three editions were given by Chaim Goodman-Strauss, Aaron Abrams, and @henryseg.bsky.social. We heard about geometric constructions, visualizations of configuration spaces, and soap bubble #math. (3/6)

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

A conversation about AI Late-night musings of three mathematicians

I'm sure many great things will come out of our #illustratingMath graduate school that we held at @cirm-math.bsky.social this January. Here's a first result: A write-up by Dave Bachman of a conversation he had about #AI use in #Math. Give it a read:
profbachman.substack.com/p/a-conversa...

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

I'm very much looking forward to seeing this work in the #illustratingMath exhibition at the Maison Poincaré soon!

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

Hands-on #illustratingMath, love it 🤩 Even better, it's so easily extended into a student activity: They pick their own favorite function and build corresponding models with, e.g., cardboard. Creates a lovely gallery in the classroom.

Sylvie Benzoni-Gavage

@gavagesylvie.bsky.social

1 month ago

The #Rulpidon made it to the Gazette of @socmathfrance.bsky.social 🤩. #woodturning #illustratingMath

Christopher Hanusa

@mathzorro.bsky.social

1 month ago

It was lovely to join the #illustratingmath community for two weeks, in Paris, no less. We added some fun to these important conversations about where and how this field fits in with and complements its adjacent fields.

Dr. Martin Skrodzki

@msmathcomp.bsky.social

1 month ago

A close-up shot of a chalkboard filled with handwritten notes in white chalk. Under the heading "Steps forward," the list includes items such as "Journal," "Math Repository," and "Online Encyclopedia."

The final session is dedicated to "Steps forward" for the field of #illustratingMath. What are the tangible next activities that we can pick up as a community? Suggestions include a dedicated journal, a tool collection, and an online archive, among others. (3/4)