IMAGINARY is collaborating with the new Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York and prepared a special version of the SURFER program, called Formula Morph.
Formula Morph
program
Binary distribution (Linux, Mac; Windows untested)
Credits
Formula Morph is an original concept by MoMath. It is based on the
program SURFER, a raytracer for algebraic surfaces in real time by the
Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach. The user interface was redesigned by Moey Inc. for MoMath installation.
Formula Morph is part of IMAGINARY, an open source platform for interactive mathematics by the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach.
Contributors
ProgrammingChristian Stussak
Hardware InterfaceAdam Harvey
CoordinationGlen Withney, Cindy Lawrence (MoMath); Andreas Daniel Matt (IMAGINARY); Rory Nugent, Joey Stein, Emily Conrad, Molly Lenore (Moey Inc.)
Scientific AdvisorGert-Martin Greuel
Thanks toValentina Galata, Herwig Hauser, Stephan Klaus, Oliver Labs, JLaTeXMath
Supported by
IMAGINARY - Open Mathematics is sponsored by the Klaus Tschira
Stiftung. IMAGINARY was initially supported by the German Federal
Ministry of Education and Research in 2008-2009, the development of
SURFER is supported by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
Related Events
Man Ray–Human Equations: A Journey from Mathematics to Shakespeare explores the intersection of art and science that defined a significant component of modern art at the beginning of the 20th century. The exhibit Formula Morph from the MoMath museum in New York, which is based on the SURFER exhibit by IMAGINARY, is part of this exhibition!
Build a Formula Morph station and take the control on the instruments panel! Your mission: explore how algebraic surfaces change and merge as you tune the dials and adjust the levers.
Formula Morph is a front-end user interface for the program SURFER. It was conceived by the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) and developed by Moey Inc. to be a more physical and simplified way to use SURFER on an exhibition, and it is on display at this museum.
The user can select two algebraic surfaces from a predefined list and interactively modify surface parameters in order to achieve deformations. Both surfaces are interpolated (“morphed”) so that a third surface is created. In most cases, the results are very aesthetical and astonishing!
This virtual exhibit is designed to be controlled using physical input devices (wheels, levers, buttons), and thus a physical “station” needs to be built to display this exhibit on a museum or exhibition. A software panel is provided for testing purposes. For home use and more options, consider the standard interface of SURFER.
