2026 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Ellie Baker
Artists
Ellie Baker
Artist and Computer Scientist
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Statement
Coming from both an art and a computer science background, I'm drawn to crafting objects whose construction requires puzzle-solving. In pursuit of design goals, I often stumble across fun puzzles and wind up not only with an interesting object, but also with a deeper understanding of some bit of mathematics. In this case, the object itself is a puzzle --and a kind of physical proof. My experiences as a maker/crafter/artist/puzzler are also reflected in the book I coauthored with Susan Goldstine, “Crafting Conundrums: Puzzles and Patterns for the Bead Crochet Artist" (new edition forthcoming).
Artworks
Reversible Möbius Puzzle Scarf
45.0 x 45.0 x 1.0 cm
custom printed fabric
2025
This scarf is also a puzzle! Solving the puzzle provides a physical demonstration that the double cover of the non-orientable Möbius band is an orientable band with two full twists (special thanks to Eve Torrence and Shiying Dong for teaching me about this!). The puzzle is to figure out how to fold the orientable form of the scarf into either of the two Möbius forms (each displaying a different fabric). It's tricky to solve! The Möbius form has a particularly nice drape for wearing, and it's a fun surprise that we can effectively create a 2-color reversible Möbius when a Möbius band is known to have only one side. The scarf also has other nice forms for the wearer to explore, such as a seemingly linked form, as shown in the photo.