Mr. Peter J Lu

IAB is proud to host Mr. Peter J Lu on Thursday November 1st at 6:30 PM
at IAB. Please arrivae ontime.
His main research focuses on the structure and dynamics of attractive colloids, but
has interests in mathematical aspects of cultural history. His research is in
mathematics of the medieval Islamic world. 
The conventional view holds that girih (geometric star-and-polygon)
patterns in medieval Islamic architecture were conceived by their
designers as a network of zigzagging lines, where the lines were drafted
directly with a straightedge and a compass. In this presentation, he will
demonstrate how, by 1200 C.E., a conceptual breakthrough occurred in which
girih patterns were reconceived as tessellations of a special set of
equilateral polygons (girih tiles) decorated with lines. These tiles
enabled the creation of increasingly complex periodic girih patterns, and
 by the 15th century, the tessellation approach was combined with
self-similar transformations to construct nearly perfect quasi-crystalline
Penrose patterns, five centuries before their discovery in the West. While
the methods he describe were used throughout the entire medieval Islamic
world, a large fraction of the most important examples come from Iran,
which he will highlight, incorporating new material recently uncovered
during a trip to Iran this past spring.

For more information please call KHANEH-YE IRAN at (617)924-IRAN
KHANEH-YE IRAN is located at 17 Nichols Ave. Watertown, MA.
To become an IAB Member please visit our web site at http://www.IABoston.org/