Letter W

Mu Hong Wang

This abstract photograph explores the concept of light as both a physical and metaphysical force, forging paths through time and space. Mathematically, the image resonates with principles of geometry, symmetry, and motion. The undulating lines of light resemble vector fields and sine waves, visually referencing the continuous oscillations found in trigonometric and wave functions. These fluid movements reflect the essence of mathematical curves and parametric forms, where each point is governed by time and transformation. The motion blur suggests a temporal layering‚ akin to a dynamic system unfolding‚ revealing traces of chaotic movement, sensitivity to initial conditions, and non-linearity often studied in anomalous mathematics and chaos theory.

Thematically, the work explores silence‚ as more than stillness‚ it becomes an active space of potential, echoing the mathematical notion of the void, the zero-point, or the singularity. Anomalous mathematics often thrives at the edges of traditional logic‚ at points of instability, asymmetry, and contradiction‚ where silence can symbolize both the unknown and the infinite. In this way, the photograph not only illustrates mathematical ideas but becomes a contemplative medium where logic and intuition, calculation and spirituality converge. It invites viewers into a liminal space‚ between light and darkness, structure and randomness‚Äîwhere meaning emerges through both precision and poetic ambiguity.

Yaqi Wang

"I i i 3" explores the psychological phenomenon of consciousness diffusion and fragmentation through watercolor, charcoal pencils, and charcoal sticks, inspired by the concept of "anomalous diffusion." This phenomenon occurs when particles or objects deviate from their normal trajectory due to random factors or external forces, evolving into an irregular, nonlinear state. The work parallels this to the nonlinear changes and fragmentation of individual consciousness under external pressure.

The central figure, trapped in a cage, symbolizes the struggle under external oppression. The abstract faces on either side represent the fragmentation of consciousness, with curved lines extending from the noses to the trapped figure, illustrating how external forces distort and limit the flow of self-awareness. The trapped figure and the abstract faces represent "me," symbolizing different layers and fragmentation of the same consciousness.

Abstract stones, tendrils, and seaweed-like plants at the bottom symbolize intangible barriers within consciousness, reinforcing the idea that diffusion is influenced by external structures and forces, similar to how particles in anomalous diffusion are affected by environmental unevenness or boundary reflections.

The title "i i i 3" emphasizes the connection and fragmentation between the three "I"s, reflecting the complexity and disorder of human consciousness.

Pippa Warren

The mandelbrot set is one of the most famous images in maths. A shape that can contain infinite complexity yet be created from a simple algorithm seems to defy logic. The aim of this art piece was to highlight the similarities between this shape and organic forms. 

Just below the surface of the gravel, buried like a seed, lies the mandelbrot set at just 5 mm across. As we travel up the sculpture it grows in size, doubling every 2 cm, constantly revealing new details, always self-similar just like in nature. There is a maginification of one hundred billion between the top and bottom of the plant meaning that if we were to print the entire mandelbrot at the top of the structure it would have grown to the size of the Earth.

This sculpture was created algorithmically in python, 3d printed and mounted in a plant pot of resin and pebbles.

TIm Waters

My artwork explores the question: Do mathematical fractal patterns exist in nature, or do we perceive them as a way to understand the complexities of the natural world? I believe we are only beginning to uncover the beauty and intricacy that nature has to offer, and I enjoy examining it as closely as possible to reveal its mysteries. 

To investigate this idea, I layer fractal photography of my surroundings, create drawings of simple mathematical patterns, and generate fractals using my own computer software. 

Art serves as my portal into a recursive realm, and my creations are the visual records of my explorations. 

The fractals I produce are generated using my own software. This is a React JS application I'm developing and is freely available for others to use on my website, timwatersart.com/fractal-art-app/ 

Richard Whaling

Video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PPz5TWgAvyZc9FurvTznXE9azSopRCO2/view?usp=sharing

The work is a procedural animation of a variety of simulated physical and mathematical processes.  Smoothly varying gradient noise, quantized to a fixed palette, provides a grid-like background, overlaid with particles in a vectorized flow field driven by the same noise gradients.  Four inlaid fields form a foreground tetraptych, in which randomized figures (random curves, crosshatching, and cubic splines) are rapidly drawn and fade into a constantly shifting accretion.  The overall palette of tan, taupe, and beige lends a physicalized, ink-on-paper quality, despite the use of comparatively low-level drawing and rendering techniques.  The accretion of marks has a very particular texture that is an artifact of OpenGL drawing techniques and pixel-accuracy colliding with browser, OS, and hardware buffering, but the end result is carefully tuned to lend warmth and a sense of physicality to the overall work.

The work regenerates every 10-15 minutes or so, and certain parameters are randomized (if installed as code, rather than video, of course), so the piece can run indefinitely without repeating itself, as a dynamic digital painting.

Anduriel Widmark

This 12x12 inch painting, generated with the assistance of reaction-diffusion systems, captures the striking emergence of complex structures from simple rules. It explores how environmental patterns, seen in animal markings, coral growth, and chemical processes, can be modeled through mathematical equations. Swirling formations evoke landscapes shaped by unseen forces, showing the hidden logic behind organic complexity. This piece bridges art and mathematics, revealing the beauty of stochastic systems and their role in shaping the world around us.

Wing Yu Wong

Luck is an elusive concept—often attributed to fate, divine blessing, or pure randomness. But can luck be quantified? Can mathematics define it? 

This artwork explores probability theory through clovers randomly distributed across the canvas, with only one hidden four-leaf clover. 

According to legend, the probability of finding a four-leaf clover is estimated to be 1 in 5,000 to 10,000. If this holds true, the probability of encountering at least one in a field of 5,000 clovers is about 63.2%, approaching near certainty as the number surpasses 50,000. 

Through this piece, viewers embark on a mathematical journey. In life, we sometimes follow predictable probabilities, yet other times, we stumble upon unexpected patterns. This work combines mathematics and art to turn abstract randomness into a clear visual experience. Like the universe itself, mathematics is both mysterious and profound—if luck could be calculated, then so could success. Let’s explore it together!

Thomas Woolley

Full video with sound drive.google.com/file/d/1MR4C1XMbR04mcjE3Oeoyrlu85IGfY2sl/view?usp=sharing 

Title: Tumour Cell Transport 

This animation presents glioma tumour cell invasion between white and grey brain matter, inspired by Belmonte-Beitia et al. (2013). It contrasts normal “Fickian” diffusion with a proposed anomalous "myopic" diffusion, where cells move randomly based on limited local information.

Within a 2D domain, matching the golden ratio (1:1.618), four stochastic simulations present tumour cells initiated in grey matter. As cells encounter white matter interfaces—where speed increases 25-fold—they form plaques along the interface rather than smoothly diffusing through. This underscores the necessity of incorporating microscale heterogeneity in tumour modelling, with potential implications for understanding tumour progression and treatment.

Initially generated via a Stochastic Simulation Algorithm in Matlab, the data was refined to enhance its visual appeal. The colour map transitions smoothly through "spring," "summer," "autumn," and "winter," reflecting life’s cyclical nature.

The accompanying ambient soundtrack, created with WolframTones, uses cellular automata to generate musical scores. This mirrors the emergent complexity of myopic diffusion, where simple, rule-based interactions yield intricate patterns.

Together, the animation and soundtrack highlight the interplay between mathematical models and artistic expression in exploring biological phenomena.

Reference:

Belmonte-Beitia, J., Woolley, T.E., Scott, J.G., Maini, P.K., & Gaffney, E.A. (2013). Modelling biological invasions: Individual to population scales at interfaces. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 334, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.05.033