Skip to main content
Scientific American
  • Cart 0
  • Forgot password?Loading
    Not yet registered?
  • |Stay Informed
Advanced Search
  • Coronavirus
  • The Sciences
  • Mind
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Sustainability
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Publications
  • Subscribe
  • Current Issue
  • Cart0
  • Sign In
  • Stay Informed
      • Share
      • Latest

      The Unreasonable Beauty of Mathematics [Slide Show]

      Mathematical structures both natural and man-made dazzle the eye

      • Share on Facebook
      • Share on Twitter
      • Share on Reddit
      • Share on LinkedIn
      • Share via
      • Print
      The Unreasonable Beauty of Mathematics [Slide Show]
      Slideshow (8) images
      View
      Credits: Tom Beddard

      The Unreasonable Beauty of Mathematics [Slide Show]

        • Share
      • KNOT THEORY: The trefoil is the simplest knot in mathematicians' classification. Knot theory goes back to the 19th century, when physicists briefly thought knots might explain atoms; mathematicians continued to develop the theory for its inherent interest... Robert G. Scharein
      • MÖBIUS PROTEIN: The major component of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, sometimes known as "good cholesterol"), apolipoprotein A-I, consists of a kinked helix about 12.5 nanometers in its longest dimension... Mike Tyka, University of Washington. Image was rendered using PyMol
      • MÖBIUS TREFOIL PUZZLE: Tom Longtin is a fan of the Möbius strip and its many variants, such as this trefoil—an overhand knot with a twist in it. Tom Longtin
      • HEAVENLY SPIRALS: Spiral patterns occur throughout nature, perhaps most dramatically in spiral galaxies. This pair of galaxies has particularly unusual spiral patterns that are presumably the result of the gravitational tidal forces between them... NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
      • Advertisement
      • DOUBLE SPIRAL: Paul Nylander maintains an incredible collection of mathematical art, along with the Mathematica code to recreate it. Paul Nylander
      • FRACTAL BROCCOLI: John Ostrowick, responding to our Twitter call for examples of natural mathematical beauty, suggested Romanesco broccoli. This photo by Jon Sullivan was selected by Wikipedia users as one of the most spectacular on that site... Jon Sullivan
      • FRACTAL BUBBLES: Richard Taylor specializes in discovering the occurrence of fractals in the world. (He has argued that fractal geometry can tell a real Jackson Pollack painting from a knock-off.) He took this picture at the edge of the pond in Sydney, Australia... Richard Taylor, University of Oregon
      • FAMOUS FRACTAL: This is a version of one of the best known fractals, the Julia set. Fractals in general are a compelling example of how abstract mathematical forms, generated by seemingly simple algorithms in which a pattern repeats on multiple scales, are capable of intricate beauty... Tom Beddard
      • Advertisement
      • Previous
      • Next
      of
      • View all
      • Link copied!
      • KNOT THEORY:
      • MÖBIUS PROTEIN:
      • MÖBIUS TREFOIL PUZZLE:
      • HEAVENLY SPIRALS:
      • DOUBLE SPIRAL:
      • FRACTAL BROCCOLI:
      • FRACTAL BUBBLES:
      • FAMOUS FRACTAL:
      Advertisement
      Advertisement

      Newsletter

      Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter.

      Sign Up

      Support Science Journalism

      Discover world-changing science. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners.

      Subscribe Now!Support Science Journalism

      Follow us

      • instagram
      • soundcloud
      • youtube
      • twitter
      • facebook
      • rss

      Scientific american arabic

      العربية
      • Return & Refund Policy
      • About
      • Press Room
      • FAQs
      • Contact Us
      • Site Map
      • Advertise
      • SA Custom Media
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • California Consumer Privacy Statement
      • Use of cookies/Do not sell my data
      • International Editions
      Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www.springernature.com/us). Scientific American maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers.

      © 2021 Scientific American, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc.

      All Rights Reserved.

      Scroll To Top

      You have free articles left.

      Temp Paywall Img

      Support our award-winning coverage of advances in science & technology.

      Already a subscriber? Sign in.

      Subscribers get more award-winning coverage of advances in science & technology.

      See Subscription Options