Third Place, 2015

When geometers want to identify a complicated shape, they often look for clues in what it's "wearing." These drawings show variations on a "pinstripe suit" tailored to fit a shape that appears in string theory research. Halfway through the sequence of variations, the cut of the suit changes, spiraling in the opposite direction. At the moment of the change, a distinctive pattern of concentric circles appears. This pattern not only identifies the shape the suit fits, but also reveals features of the string theory the shape comes from.

Credit:
Aaron Fenyes
Mathematics Graduate Student