By Glen Whitney
Appears in collection : 2026 - T1 - WS1 - Rigorous Illustrations - Their creation and evaluation for mathematical research
Can a public participatory art installation be relevant to the boundary of current work on unsolved problems? Moreover, the question is also pertinent in the other direction: should recent research have any influence on public art? A case study of a Fall 2025 geometric construction at the University of Colorado, Pueblo will reveal the positive interactions that can occur: increased exposure and enthusiasm for mathematics, looking at an existing problem in new ways, and even developing new software tools that appear to be useful in both pursuits. Of course, as in any method exploring the boundaries of what we know to be true or untrue, pitfalls lurk, and we will conclude by examining some of these as well.
By Anne Parreau
By Alexander Barvinok
