Math's Victor Donnay and Two Math Alums Write About Using Fractal Geometry

The latest issue of the math journal FOCUS features an article about math outreach involving "the creation of ephemeral public math art installations." The piece is written by Professor of Mathematics Victor Donnay and Bryn Mawr alumnae Jane Long '02 and Mary O'Keefe '75. Long is an associate professor of mathematics at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. O'Keefe is an adjunct professor of economics at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Each author details projects they did using either the Sierpinski triangle or Sierpinski pyramid. In April of 2016, Donnay worked with members of the Bryn Mawr community to help prepare the world's largest Sierpinski triangle. The triangle was built with nearly 30,000 K’Nex pieces. The final triangle was built at the Wagner Free Institute of Science of Philadelphia on Sunday, April 24, 2016. At Bryn Mawr, participants created the smaller triangles as well as a section of the larger triangle.