The Fourth Dimension and the People You Meet There

Speaker:Tom Banchoff, Brown University

Date and time:Thursday, April 11, 6:30-7:30pm

Location:Natural Sciences Building Room 112

Abstract: Four-dimensional space has challenged writers, artists, geometers, philosophers, and theologians. Modern graphical visualization techniques make it possible for us to see and interact with higher-dimensional space and figures in dramatic and illuminating ways. Guides to this fourth dimension include Edwin Abbott Abbott's _Flatland_, Madeleine L'Engle's _A Wrinkle in Time_, and Salvador Dali's _Corpus Hypercubus_, which have both embraced higher dimensions as mathematical concepts and made symbolic use of the fourth dimension as representative of the frontiers of human imagination and ability. This talk will explore both the history of mathematical and philosophical excursions into the fourth dimension, and seek to answer the question: "What lies ahead?"

Bio: Dr. Tom Banchoff has been a teacher and researcher of geometry, expanding the horizons of understanding of higher-dimensional geometry in both mathematics and the creative arts. Dr. Banchoff was a pioneer in the field of computer graphics, developing some of the earliest visualizations of four-dimensional solids. He has been recognized with the Lester R. Ford award for mathematical exposition and the Haimo Award for Distinguished Teaching. He has served as the president of the Mathematical Association of America, as the editor of leading journals, and as a consultant for the 2007 film adaptation of _Flatland_.