Francesco De Comite
Ray-tracing softwares can help you visualize mathematical objects and
concepts. The more you become fluent in their language, the more
sophisticated objects you can create.
The next step is then to raise those objects to the third dimension,
using modeller and 3D-printers.
Softwares are my tools, like sculptors have hammers, chisels and
gouges.
Inversion of a Doyle Spiral. There is still another sphere, wrapping all of the others, and tangent to the six border spheres. Can you guess its color ?
A succession of little steps : define a Doyle spiral, invert it in a circle, map it on the Riemann sphere, and finally get inside the sphere. Several layers of spirals, seen from a mathematically forbidden point of view.
This work is an attempt to answer the question a British sculptor,
James Hopkins asked me : "Is it possible to design a 3D object
that will reveal an hidden design when seen in a mirror ?"
The answer is yes, and I begun to develop a method for
constructing such installations. This is just an appetizer: the
research field looks so fertile. I will present a paper about the
method I used at the conference.