Crochet is probably the last thing you'd expect to see in the Smithsonian's permanent collection of mathematical models. But it turns out to be a simple way to demonstrate the complex concept of hyperbolic space, which spreads infinitely in all directions. Cornell researcher Daina Taimina shows this spatial expansion by increasing the number of stitches in each successive row of her needlework. The finished pieces are flexible, durable, and, most important, tangible. "Lots of people get math anxiety," Taimina says, "but having something they can touch gives them a new level of understanding."
- Elizabeth Svoboda
credit Steve Rowel for The Institute For Figuring
Spaceballs! Daina Taiminaés crocheted models make the concept of hyperbolic planes easy to grasp.
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A Mathematical Yarn
