Minimal Surfaces

• from: http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-minimal-surfaces.html

Wikipedia description

'n mathematics, a minimal surface is a surface with a mean curvature of zero. This includes, but is not limited to, surfaces of minimum area subject to constraints on the location of their boundary. Physical models of area-minimizing minimal surfaces can be made by dipping a wire frame into a soap solution, forming a soap film. Examples of minimal surfaces include catenoids and helicoids. A minimal surface made by rotating a catenary once around the axis is called a catenoid. A surface swept out by a line rotating with uniform velocity around an axis perpendicular to the line and simultaneously moving along the axis with uniform velocity is called a helicoid. Minimal surfaces have become an area of intense mathematical and scientific study over the past 15 years, specifically in the areas of molecular engineering and materials science, due to their anticipated nanotechnology applications.'

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_surface
• see also soap bubble http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_bubble

Frei Otto

Otto is the world's leading authority on lightweight tensile and membrane structures, and has pioneered advances in structural mathematics and civil engineering. Otto's career bears a similarity to BuckminsterFuller architectural experiments: both taught at Washington University in St. Louis in the late 1950's, both were architects of major pavilions at the Montreal Expo of 1967, both were concerned with space frames and structural efficiency, and both experimented with inflatable buildings. The work of both men go far beyond traditional methods of calculating structural stresses. Otto founded the famous Institute for Lightweight Structures at the University of Stuttgart in 1964 and headed the institute till his retirement as university professor. Major works include the West German Pavilion at the Montreal Expo in 1967 and the roof of the 1972 Munich Olympic Arena. As an architect and engineer, he is still active. He won the 1974 Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, the 1996/7 Wolf Prize in Architecture and the 2005 RIBA Royal Gold Medal.

• http://www.freiotto.com

Aleksandra Kasuba

amazing work!!

• http://www.curvedsurfaces.com/index.htm
• http://www.kasubaworks.com/

Links

• http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-minimal-surfaces.html
• http://www.technet-gmbh.com/download/Publikationen/Cutpat2.pdf
• http://www.citebase.org/cgi-bin/citations?id=oai:arXiv.org:math/0305184

-- RachelWingfield - 09 Apr 2006
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