Mathematical Forms in Architecture

This project will explore and advance innovative applications of mathematics to architecture using computational methods. Historically, architecture has been guided primarily by an intuitive creative process. In contrast to the end-results of intuitive design, many "optimal" forms--i.e. geometric shapes and configurations that satisfy extremal conditions--are unique because they are the result of systematic physical experiments or explicit mathematical study in addition to imaginative imput. Classic questions for which human intuition alone has been incapable of finding a solution include: What is the exact shape of the optimal arch?, or What is the shape of a child's slide that minimizes the time of travel? The use of computational methods to generate solutions to these problems will be made considerably simpler via optimization libraries in Mathematica. The application to architecture in this project will provide students a unique concrete backdrop to visualize solutions to these problems.