TODAY, Wednesday 31 January 2024 (14:30 - 16:00)

Venue: ICTP - Budinich Lecture Hall

Title: Escher & Droste

Speaker: Peter Stevenhagen (Leiden University)


Abstract: Art, mathematics, physics, nature and design are the "ingredients" present in the works of Escher, a brilliant and tormented artist, capable of realizing so many paradoxes of perspective, geometry and composition that form the basis of his works and continue to inspire generations of new artists to this day. The Droste effect is a special visual effect achieved when an image contains a smaller version of itself. These are recursive images, which can potentially be repeated ad infinitum. Escher’s "print gallery" from 1956 represents his mastery of creating mathematical puzzles and geometric paradoxes at the highest level. I will present Hendrik Lenstra’s mathematical explanation of this puzzle using the mesmerising visual illustrations created by the Leiden number theory group.

This talk will be non-technical and accessible to a general audience.

Everyone is welcome to attend

-- 
Koutou Mabilo
ICTP Mathematics Group
Leonardo Da Vinci Building
Strada Costiera no. 11
34151 Trieste, Italy
Tel. no.: +39-040-2240455

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way
that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela