Accession No
4469
Brief Description
mathematical knitted model showing interpenetrating surfaces (aka topology of interlacing surfaces), by Alexander Crum Brown, Scottish, 1885
Origin
Scotland; Edinburgh
Maker
Crum Brown, Alexander
Class
mathematics; demonstration
Earliest Date
1885
Latest Date
1885
Inscription Date
Material
organic (wool)
Dimensions
breadth 135mm; length 175mm; thickness 25mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Once belonged to A. Hutchinson, who was given the model in 1914.
Inscription
‘Interpenetrating Surfaces
Knitted by
Alexander Crum Brown, F.R.S.
Professor of Chemistry
in the University of Edinburgh
born 26 Mar. 1838, died 28 Oct. 1922.’ (on brown paper label attached to knitting)
‘given to me in August 1914
A. Hutchinson’ (on reverse of label)
Description Notes
Mathematical knitted model showing interpenetrating surfaces (aka topology of interlacing surfaces), by Alexander Crum Brown, Scottish, 1885.
Three layers of intertwined knitting; pattern consists of two diamonds surrounded by half diamonds. Colours of wool used are dark blue, pale blue and brown. Paper label attached to knitting (see inscription).
Complete
References
David Dunning; 'Knitted Interpenetrating Surfaces'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge; 2014: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/models/knitted-interpenetrating-surfaces
Events
Description
Before the advent of computers, an effective way of modeling complex three-dimensional mathematical functions was to use string models, such as objects no. 5175 and no. 5795 in the Whipple Collection. Scottish mathematician Alexander Crum Brown (1838–1922) used another technique—knitting—to model interpenetrating surfaces. Each colour of wool represented a different surface in the model, which enabled Crum Brown to demonstrate the interpenetration of multiple surfaces previously ‘modelled’ using mathematical functions. This example relates to the mathematical surfaces described in Crum Brown’s 1885 paper ‘On a case of interlacing surfaces’. He produced at least thirteen different models using a knitting technique. Other media in which Crum Brown experimented are leather and papier-mâché. Crum Brown is best known for introducing graphical representation of organic molecules into chemistry, which now forms the basis of the present-day standard in the science.
11/03/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 11/03/2014
FM:40178
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