Who Says Mathematicians Can't Have Fun?

Don't say I didn't warn you. Why, it was just last week I pleaded "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Mathematicians".

As if there aren't enough reasons, Ron Eglash, an associate professor of science and technology studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has uncovered mathematics embedded in the designs of everything from cornrow hairstyles ("transformational geometry") and Navajo rug weaving ("Cartesian coordinates") to graffiti ("Cartesian and polar coordinates") and Yupik star navigation ("counting, modular math"). Putting this breakthrough information to work, he's gone on to develop a series of interactive, Web-based teaching tools to prove that math can be entertaining and educational. Right.

Eglash started thinking this way in 1999 when he discovered that fractal geometry--the geometry of similar shapes repeated on ever-shrinking scales--is apparent in the designs of many cultures on the continent of Africa, revealing that traditional African mathematics may be much more complicated than previously thought. He documented fractal patterns in cornrow hairstyles, weavings, and the architecture of villages, as well as many forms of African art.

Working with math teachers on ways to use this discovery to get African American students interested in the subject of math, Eglash began focusing on the geometry of cornrow hairstyles as a way to connect with popular culture. He developed Cornrow Curves, his first "culturally situated design tool," which helps students learn transformational geometry and iteration while they create simulated cornrow designs on the computer. Cornrow Curves was followed by a program focused on scaling iteration in the traditional ivory sculptures of Africa’s Mangbetu people.

Why if this keeps up, Mathematica will be outselling Max Payne, Doom, and Madden NFL before long. Jeez, what's the world coming to?

Posted by Jon Erickson at 10:30 AM  Permalink