Q: When you combine mathematics and art in your work, which comes first?
they go hand in hand. The graphical user interfaces I program are my research tools. Those are my lab setups. By helping you organize information and keep track of data and mathematical structures, it can help you discover new mathematical results. Sometimes the discoveries you make using the program lead to a thesis, but the program itself is separate from the actual publication — it’s more of a math demonstration.
This is what I have always done. I have always had this style. I like bright, flashy colors and interesting patterns. I’m trying to write a program that efficiently answers a math question I have. We want the interface design to reflect the underlying mathematical structure. As a bonus, these interfaces sometimes produce beautiful images. The nature of the program depends on what I am working on. For example, different subfields of mathematics lend themselves more naturally to the visual.
Q: As both a mathematician and an artist, what are the similarities between the two fields?
Interesting question. Recently, I had a gallery exhibition, and I was thinking a lot. One, they both generate many kinds of images, albeit through different means. Many mathematicians use algorithms and equations. Of course, artists have different methods. I had an in-depth conversation with the gallery owner about how the repetitive movements seen in both are another commonality. Artists go back and forth, making sketches and exploring things before the final piece is completed. So do mathematicians. They draw the same picture over and over, gradually changing it. Practitioners in both fields seem to go through this iterative drawing process.
Of course, there is also the common theme of creativity. In terms of art, the creativity part is pretty obvious, but people often think the math is fixed. It is done through creative experimentation with the same level of choice and risk as is done.
Q: Speaking of the exhibition, could you tell us more about the work you created for the exhibition?
Over the years, these computer programs I’ve written eventually have extensive visual interfaces. For the show, I made a video of the interface in action. In the end, I made about 18 pieces, but there are more than a dozen exhibits. One of them looks like Alka-Seltzer. It is a cluster of dots in the center that spreads out and fills the area. This was just for fun. So, not really related to my research, but I liked the mix of chaos and order shown in the video.
