Stamp corner
1
Robin Wilson* Impossible Figures Impossible figures have proved to be irresistibly fasci- nating to artists and mathematicians alike. In 1934, the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersv/ird drew the first impos- sible triangle, an arrangement of nine cubes. Three of his impossible figures were later featured in a set of Swedish stamps, issued in 1982 to commemorate his work. In the 1950s, the Dutch graphic artist Maurits Escher began to incorporate impossible objects into his litho- graphs, and shortly afterwards a seminal article on their construction and features was published by Lionel and Roger Penrose. An impossible triangle is featured on the Israeli stamp, issued in 1973 to commemorate the jubilee of the Technion in Haifa. An impossible cube appears on the Austrian stamp, issued to celebrate the tenth Inter- national Austrian Mathematical Congress in 1981. If you are interested in mathematical stamps, you are invited to subscribe to Philamath. Details may be obtained from the secretary, Estelle A. Buccino, 135 Witherspoon Court, Athens, GA 30606 USA. * Column editor's address: Faculty of Mathematics, The Open Uruverslty, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA England 8 0 THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER VOL 13, NO 1 9 1991Spnnger-Verlag New York
-
Upload
robin-wilson -
Category
Documents
-
view
212 -
download
0
Transcript of Stamp corner
Robin Wilson*
Impossible Figures
Impossible figures have proved to be irresistibly fasci- nating to artists and mathematicians alike. In 1934, the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersv/ird drew the first impos- sible triangle, an arrangement of nine cubes. Three of his impossible figures were later featured in a set of Swedish stamps, issued in 1982 to commemorate his work.
In the 1950s, the Dutch graphic artist Maurits Escher began to incorporate impossible objects into his litho- graphs, and shortly afterwards a seminal article on their construction and features was published by Lionel and Roger Penrose.
An impossible triangle is featured on the Israeli stamp, issued in 1973 to commemorate the jubilee of the Technion in Haifa. An impossible cube appears on the Austrian stamp, issued to celebrate the tenth Inter- national Austrian Mathematical Congress in 1981.
If you are interested in mathematical stamps, you are invited to subscribe to Philamath. Details may be obtained from the secretary, Estelle A. Buccino, 135 Witherspoon Court, Athens, GA 30606 USA.
* C o l u m n editor's address: Faculty of Mathemat ics , The O p e n Uruversl ty, Mil ton Keynes MK7 6AA Eng land
80 THE MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER VOL 13, NO 1 �9 1991 Spnnger-Verlag New York
