Math and Art

During class, a comparison between art and mathematics was discussed.  Math is a subject that I enjoy a lot and this love for math has led me to become an Actuarial Science major.  This major allows me to be in the business world while still able to use math in my everyday life.  After much thought, on the subject, I concluded that there are many similarities between math and art.  Both involve completing processes.  In math there are certain steps that must be taken in order to solve a particular problem.  The same in true in art; there are specific steps to take in order to complete a particular technique.  Another similarity between the two is that all you need is an idea to create the next big discovery.  A new idea can be proven to be true and then it can be used and admired by other for all time. 

                This comparison has led me to think differently about the art pieces we look at in class.  Looking at art from this perspective makes art scientific with all the steps having a particular meaning.  If the step did not add anything to improve a procedure when that procedure is replicated, it would not be included.  Furthermore, math can be seen as a form of art.  This can be true because sometimes you are unsure of exactly how a particular problem will turn out especially if it is a proof.  Math problems are like puzzles in which the given information needs to be artfully fit together to produce the desired result. 

                While similarities can be drawn between the two fields, it is also clear that some pieces of art used math.  For example, the below structure would not have been able to be constructed without using math.  The structure is made up of triangles connected into pyramids and attached to each other to form the structure that was designed by the artist.