In school we all learned the basics of geometry. We learned parallel lines stay parallel, and the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees. These are the rules we learn, and within the parameter of high school math and two dimensional shapes on paper, they cannot be broken. This is all well and good until you try to apply what you have learned to the diverse range of 3D shapes which occur in world, and indeed the universe. Hyperbolic Geometry deals with these trickier shapes, which are not as simple to visualise or reproduce; where the rules aren’t so simple.
For years mathematicians have struggled to effectively reproduce hyperbolic shapes to simply explain and visually demonstrate the fundamentals of the subject matter. Many believed it was impossible to model such structures materially. In1997 however, a Latvian math professor, Diana Taimina, had a crafty idea. She took two very separate interests of hers and combined them in an unlikely collaboration. Yes, Diana crocheted the first hyperbolic plane to illustrate her teachings to a class! The idea was inspired as it took a complex mathematical material and made it visual and accessible for a wider audience. By bringing crochet and knitting to the subject, she has made it easy and fun to construct hyperbolic surfaces that vividly illustrate these geometrically problematic shapes.
Since this first application in ‘97, the idea of knitting and crocheting scientific shapes has spread with some truly fantastic results. It was picked up by The Institute for Figuring and turned into the ecological project Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, which involved thousands of participants worldwide. Diana herself has gone on to knit a multitude of extraordinary shapes; many of which have been displayed in museums and even art galleries around the world. In 2009 she made her work even more accessible, reaching a wider audience, in a book entitled Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes.
This week Diana’s work has once again made headlines as the prestigious Euler Book Prize was awarded to Diana for her unusual publication. The Prize is intended to recognize authors of exceptionally well written books with a positive impact on the public's view of mathematics.The award acknowledges the fact that Diana’s novel approach to geometry has brought a whole new audience to mathematics. The governing body (The Mathematics Association of America) explains “It is perfectly capable of standing on its mathematical feet as a clear, rigorous, and beautifully illustrated introduction to hyperbolic geometry. It is truly a book where art, craft, science, and mathematics come together in perfect harmony.”
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