In the 90s, Latvian mathematician Daina Taimiņa started thinking about how rather complex mathematical objects could potentially be represented through crochet. From a practical perspective, crochet lends itself well to the rigour of mathematics, since one can very easily construct a crochet pattern from a mathematical formula. At the same time, the flexible nature of crocheted yarn means that the piece will be soft enough to be bent and folded as necessary. Since Daina Taimiņa’s first crocheted figures, several others have used crochet as a way to display objects in mathematics, showing how math can be both beautiful, soft and approachable.
In this talk, we will journey through the different ways crochet has been used in mathematics, seeing examples of powerful pedagogical tools, crocheted corals, illustrations of disease spread and the impact of vaccines, and more. At the same time, the resistance to using crochet as a tool in mathematics gives us a historical look into the reality of women have faced in the field.
Along with the presentation, there will be actual, crocheted objects, and I will show you how crocheting a hyperbolic pseudosphere can actually be a great, easy starting project for someone who has never before crocheted.
Emma Skarstein is a PhD student in mathematics at NTNU. Her research area is statistics, where she looks at how errors in measurements and missing data can bias our conclusions in certain ways.
