Remaking Mathematics: Art on the Inside



Can the notation for software and mathematics change, and what would it look like if it did? First off, the notations for both mathematics and software have indeed been changing. For mathematics, notation has undergone gradual change over the centuries, and for programs and data structures, we are in an era where 2D graphical displays can be used to represent program logic. What about radical change? Can mathematical structures be built out of any material, and with a variety of styles and aesthetics? Before we depart on the notion of radical change, let’s consider some justifying trends. Media has become cheaper to produce, with 3D hardware now installed inside of every personal computer. True 3D displays are routinely touted in the print media, and rapid prototyping machines create material objects from raw material, such as dragons and automobile part prototypes from a resin bath. If aesthetics are to play a role in reforming mathematical notation then personalization and customization must also be justified. In recent years, both of these areas are spawning new research areas within computer science and business. It is no longer acceptable to have “one for all”. We want it done “our way.” The technology is making it economically feasible to do just this. If these trends are making it easier to remake media, then it is only a matter of time when we question our mathematical notation and everything built upon it, such as computer software. It is not that we would have necessarily done anything different if we represented Pythagoras Theorem out of trees, rivers, and people. However, maybe we might understand the notation better, and more people would come to understand software. For the past two years, we have been researching the borderlands between Fine Art and Engineering in the place where mathematical and software notation live. Our work is documented in the rube Project Area