From Algebra to Art: Creating Mathmatical Masterpieces.

Mathematicians often rhapsodize about the austere elegance of a well-wrought proof. But math also has a simpler sort of beauty that is perhaps easier to appreciate: It can be used to create objects that are just plain pretty—and fascinating to boot.

While not everyone enjoys math, I think one would be a little bit more strained to find someone who would not enjoy the images created from it. Dynamic systems, or a simple rule used to describe how a point moves across a plane, can be used to create beautiful works of art such as the one seen at right, called "coral star". Michael Field, a mathematics professor at the University of Houston has developed a very simple, yet unique way to create art:

Field uses an equation that takes any point on a piece of paper and moves it to a different spot. Field repeats this process over and over again—around 5 billion times—and keeps track of how often each pixel-sized spot in the plane gets landed on. The more often a pixel gets hit, the deeper the shade Field colors it.

To view more of his art, as well as the art of several other "mathematical artists," click on the picture and read the full article. There are works from Robert Bosch, Robert Fathauer, and Andrew Pike, who use very different methods to create their art.