In collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Department of Mathematics, Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium is presenting a new exhibition, “Puzzles, Proofs and Patterns: Experience the World of Mathematics.” The new exhibit, which features stimulating, hands-on puzzles and games, uses math to challenge and inspire.
Math has been called “the language of the universe” and “queen of the sciences,” enabling humans to describe the laws of nature and serving as the foundation for fields such as physics, chemistry and astronomy.
The exhibit, which officially opens on Friday, Oct. 23, allows visitors to see connections between math and daily life, and to learn the history of mathematics. Visitors also can interact with a host of geometric shapes, creating patterns like Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, walking through a giant dodecahedron or using a joystick to travel through the world of manifolds.
The exhibit was created in collaboration with David Glickenstein, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the UA Department of Mathematics. Glickenstein received a Career Grant from the National Science Foundation to help fund the exhibit. He studies advanced geometry and topology, and his research has inspired several displays in the exhibit.