To most people, math and art feel like two completely different subjects. But for Richard Schwartz — a mathematician who often creates colorful visualizations alongside his mathematics — the disparate fields go hand in hand.
Schwartz, a professor of mathematics at Brown University, is known for his work in geometry and dynamical systems — work that describes in mathematical terms repeated processes like a superball bouncing around inside a pyramid. Schwartz has also garnered acclaim for his artistic side — based on his use of graphical interfaces to help with his research, and also for his publication of illustrated math books.
He’s created a number of picture books that break down interesting math concepts for kids. His first, “You Can Count on Monsters,” became a bestseller. His second, “Really Big Numbers,” received the inaugural Mathical Book Prize from the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute and the Children’s Book Council.
Schwartz recently submitted art for a new exhibit at the Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in New York City. The exhibit, “Metric on a Torus,” is on display through March 25 and features work by various artists and mathematicians. It’s meant to create a dialogue between the respective fields. In that spirit, Schwartz shared his thoughts on the connections between art and math.
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