Math Art Reflection

Before deciding on the Babylonacci artwork by Philippe Leblanc for the first group project, our group had spent a long time browsing the Bridges gallery because many of the choices seemed really interesting to explore. In the end, this was chosen because of two main factors: 1) The concept was relatively simple for the entire class to understand; and 2) We had various ideas initially about how to extend the art piece. In the end, we thought to incorporate the Fibonacci Spiral was a great way to not only create another version of the original work but also spark further discussions.

In the process of replicating the original, we came to a better understanding of the Babylonian number symbols. With the help of the math history class, I was able to grasp the idea very quickly. However, extending the art into our Fibonacci Spiral was more difficult than originally imagined, because we had to plan the limited space we had very carefully. As a result, it became necessary to test out at which point in the sequence the spiral should stop at for it to be aesthetically presentable, so there were some trial and error as well as measurements involved in making our Fibonacci Spiral. This made me appreciate the work done by Mr. Leblanc as planning out this kind of project is more difficult than it seems.

What I was amazed by throughout the entire week of planning and crafting the project was how ubiquitous the Fibonacci Sequence is, and it appears in a wide range of disciplines, which as a group we decided to touch upon in the presentation. Originally I only perceived this as a mathematical concept that coincidentally appeared in music teachings, but the application range is much more than that. Thus, I find that this kind of project can be really helpful to my future students who might not be interested in mathematics to be more engaged with these concepts through interconnections with other subject areas.